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Nutritional assessment in clinical practice: a review
1Department of Adult Nursing (South), University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield.
Nursing in Critical Care
|January 1, 1997
Summary
Malnutrition in clinical settings leads to severe complications and increased costs. Early nutritional assessment by nurses is crucial for timely detection and treatment of patient malnutrition.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Nutrition
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Practice
Background:
- Malnutrition is prevalent in clinical environments, posing significant risks to patient outcomes.
- Undernutrition is associated with increased complications, prolonged hospital stays, and higher treatment expenses.
- Despite recognized risks, nutritional assessment by nursing staff remains insufficient.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore methods for assessing patient nutritional status.
- To facilitate early identification and management of clinical malnutrition.
- To improve nursing practices in nutritional care.
Main Methods:
- Literature review on nutritional assessment tools and techniques.
- Analysis of barriers to nutritional assessment in nursing practice.
- Discussion of strategies for integrating nutritional screening into routine care.
Main Results:
- Various validated tools exist for nutritional status determination.
- Barriers include time constraints, lack of training, and inadequate protocols.
- Early detection significantly improves patient prognosis and resource utilization.
Conclusions:
- Effective nutritional assessment is vital for mitigating malnutrition's adverse effects in healthcare.
- Enhanced nursing education and standardized protocols can improve assessment rates.
- Proactive nutritional management is key to better patient outcomes and cost-effectiveness.