Nutrition Nurse Specialists Anita Beukes (left) and Andrea Cartwright are key players in Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust’s recently launched Nutrition Mission aimed at encouraging everyone in the Trust to sign up to the Mission and play their part in delivering excellent nutritional care.
Nurses Place Nutrition at the Centre of Care
Nurses and midwives at Basildon Hospital are focussing on nutritional care as they launch ‘Our Nutrition Mission’. Taking pride in nutritional care is the backdrop to a range of measures that have been launched to put nutrition at the heart of patient care:
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A standard operating procedure where patients have their nutritional needs assessed within 12 hours of their arrival at hospital, an individual nutritional care plan which identifies their specific needs and therefore the most appropriate food and assistance required
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Streamlined documentation records better quality information and is colour-coded to allow nursing staff to quickly understand patient’s individual nutritional needs – particularly helpful during shift changes
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A re-launch of protected mealtimes across all wards, ensuring registered nurses are supervising mealtimes and patients are free from any unnecessary interruptions
Investment in education and training, specialised feeding and nutrition aids, increasing meal choice, improving pureed foods (increasing choice from 6 to 14 options and providing pureed food in the shape/form of the original food) and changing mealtimes to better suit patients are all part of the mission.
Diane Sarkar, Director of Nursing, said: “I want patients and their families and carers to feel reassured that they know precisely what to expect when they come in to hospital. They should expect that nursing staff understand their individual nutritional needs and that they are recording and monitoring it throughout their stay.”
Andrea Cartwright, Senior Nutrition Nurse Specialist, who is the driving force behind the mission said: “Nutrition not only is integral to a patient’s recovery for their primary diagnosis, but is known to have an impact on other areas of focus throughout healthcare, such as pressure sores, falls and urinary tract infections. The other reason nutrition must be at the heart of patient care is around dignity. Providing patients who need extra help with specialist equipment, to maintain their independence is such a simple thing to do, but can have a huge impact on a patient’s outlook.”
BAPEN (The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) want to showcase the concept as an example of good practice. BAPEN is the multi-professional association and charity established in 1992. Its membership is drawn from doctors, dietitians, nurses, patients, pharmacists and from the health policy, industry, public health and research sectors.
