News From The International Journal of Nursing Knowledge
In a recent article, authors investigated nutrition-related care needs of older hospitalized patients, using a qualitative multimethod study. Three themes were developed from the data analysis: the need to assess and address older patients’ attitudes toward life, the need for nutrition-related education, and the need for food intake support. As a result of the discovery of patient needs, the authors developed and validated a new diagnosis, risk for inadequate protein energy nutrition, along with interventions to optimize nutrition of older patients.
Although this diagnosis was developed based on the work with older adults, it is quite probable that other age groups also could have such a risk identified through a holistic nursing assessment. The authors conclude that nurses and nursing students should be taught about the relevance of caring for older patients’ nutrition and their needs, leading to choosing appropriate nursing diagnoses and interventions. They indicate the need to develop and implement a complex nursing intervention that would take the interprofessional team and patients’ family members into account.
Brunner, S., Mayer, H., Blum, K., Breidert, M., Dietrich, M., Dal, E., Müller-Staub, Maria. (2022). Nutrition-related care needs of older patients in hospital: A qualitative multimethod study
International Journal of Nursing Knowledge. https://doi.org/10.1111/2047-3095.12389