Nutrition preparation and the geriatric nurse

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not geriatric nurses are prepared to implement nutrition interventions for high-risk elderly patients. Many factors can influence poor dietary intakes among the elderly, thus contributing to disease and impeding recovery from illness. The nurse, the main caregiver, must be prepared to care for this vulnerable population. Seventy-one geriatric nurses from randomly selected nursing homes and swing-bed facilities within a midwestern state were selected for participation in this descriptive-correlational study. The nurses were evaluated for nutrition knowledge as well as for demographic and educational correlates. This study supports a moderate correlation between the number and type of nutrition-related continuing education programs and nutrition knowledge levels of the geriatric nurses. Significant differences were found in geriatric nurses' nutrition knowledge scores in the following nutrition content areas: nutrient digestion, absorption, and metabolism; nutrition throughout the life cycle; diet and disease; cultural and regulatory considerations for food and nutrition; and nutrient quality.