NutritionTracking patients with nutritional risks, how does your facility do it - Essay Example

Choose a healthcare facility—this could be a place where you work or, if you are not working in a healthcare facility, you can interview someone who is. Your assignment is to create a report about the facility’s policies and procedures for tracking patients with nutritional risks. If your facility does not have a policy, interview someone working in a facility that does. Write a report answering the following questions: • How does your facility screen patients for nutritional risk? Central DuPage Hospital is one of the most prominent hospitals that has been the forefront runners in providing nutrition in healthcare.

CDH conducts patients for nutritional risks by obtaining height and weight for BMI purposes. In addition, lab work is conducted by examining their protein level, albumin and pre albumin levels. Their LDL and HDL is checked along with vitamin B12 and folic acid levels are checked. Caloric intake is examined by ensuring that patients are taking actual food. Fluid intake is also examined.• What nutritional risk criteria are used to trigger a referral to a Registered Dietician (RD)? One of the main aspects that hospitals focus their attention is on pregnant mothers.

In order to understand and formulate risks associated with pregnancy, nurses have come up with criteria. If the mother demonstrates multiple gestation, that’s a bad sign. Additionally, gestational diabetes can be detrimental and must be recorded right away. Any dramatic change of 10 to 50 pound weight gain is not healthy. Furthermore, patient’s history of weight loss surgery should be obtained.• Who is responsible for assessing a patients nutritional status? Nurses and dieticians are majority in charge of handling patient’s nutritional status.

Most patients that are sick tend to lose weight and must be supplemented with proper amount of food and nutrients. Conducive research indicates that as many as 65% of elderly patients are malnourished when they enter the hospital while in the hospital. Without having the proper nutritional assessment, it is highly illogical and difficult to monitor their status.• How is nutrition integrated into the nursing plan? Nutrition is integrated into the nursing plan through various ways. If the patient does not need a nutritional consult then the next step is to enroll them in a diet program.

Their diet is ordered and is document regarding how much consumption is taken. If a nutritional consult is ordered the dietician makes sure the patient is getting enough nutrients and calories to support a healthy life function. • What anthropometric measurements are routinely recorded in your facility? How often are these measurements monitored? Anthropometric refers to overall growth of human body. These measurements commonly are used to measure development in growth for infants. Growth is obtained and evaluated through length, weight and head circumference.

A growth chart lists all the standards of benchmark through previous average histories of newborns. The anthropometric measurements have to be valid indication of growth status as they must be accurate. It is often a challenge to measure children with physical abnormalities due to the benchmark of the growth in the chart. • What are some common nutritional interventions used in your facility? Generally speaking, nutritional intervention is considered another form of therapy to assist the regular therapy.

For instance, Yeast is used often to assist with other therapies. Furthermore, the use of supplements such as protein shakes and glutamine are also used in conjunction. Feeding tube utilization is one of the most major ways that can be conducted. Pressure ulcers also labeled as bed sores are also formed when an individual has poor eating habits. In order to combat the formation of ulcers, nutritional supplements such as Vitamin C and zinc are used. These experiments indicated that nutritional interventions undoubtedly assist the overall process.

If a new born is born and possesses poor linear head growth, it is essential that the nurse refers the baby back to physician for medical work up of poor growth.• How are outcomes commonly monitored? Outcomes are monitored through somewhat of a change in the BMI. If a patient feels more energetic or there is change in body chemistry. Also, measuring the levels of HDL and LDL can give some sort of indication along with BMI can be helpful. Monitoring compliance becomes vital at any point of the stage.

Weekly weights are also implemented to assure that outcomes are verified. Identifying high-risks of patients before they are posed with a danger can also tremendously help the process. For infants, monitoring serum levels of vitamins A, E, and D; calcium; phosphorus alkaline phosphatase; magnesium, and zinc up to once every 4 weeks is critical.Works CitedMS, L. S., RD., & CD. (n.d.). Short Bowel Syndrome. UW Departments Web Server. Retrieved August 22, 2011, from http://depts.washington.edu/growing/Assess/SBS.

htm#Long%20Term%20NutriWhitenton, L., & Walker, M. (2010). CNA certified nursing assistant . Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Education ;.