The Impact of Nurse–Dietitian Collaboration on Hospital Patient Outcomes: A Literature Review

Abstract

Proper nutrition is an integral part of the hospital treatment which is especially important for critically ill patients, where the metabolic needs, protein catabolism and food intake are enhanced. This literature review looks at the role of nurse–dietitian partnerships in nutrition support and the effect of nurse–dietitian partnership on the outcomes of hospitalised and critically ill patients. Nurses can contribute by ongoing bedside monitoring, nutrition management, assessment of feeding tolerance, recording into the patient's documentation, and early identification of nutrition problems, whereas dietitians can contribute with their expertise in nutrition assessment skills, individual energy and protein needs, development of nutrition plans and adaptation of nutrition interventions as needed in the clinical situation.