Guide for new nurses on how to help patients manage nutrition and hydration

Having a healthy diet is very important and essential for being healthy. Unfortunately, however, malnutrition is a common problem in the UK and around the world. Patients who have other health conditions are particularly at risk of being malnourished as they often have many other things to think about and forget to focus on their diet. As a nurse, it is important that you help them manage their nutrition and hydration as getting adequate nutrients and vitamins can help them recover faster.

This task can seem overwhelming but, in reality, it is easier than it seems. Especially if you have a read of our short guide. Here we take a look at what nurses can do to help patients avoid becoming malnourished.

What are the barriers to maintaining good nutrition and hydration?

Before discussing how to help patients avoid malnutrition and take care of their hydration, it is important to understand what leads to them having problems with managing it on its own. Here are some of the main barriers to maintaining good nutrition and hydration:

Not understanding why nutrition and hydration are important
Not having a regular meal schedule
Not feeling enough motivation to prepare nutritious meals
Being of poor health
Not having appetite
Feeling depressed
Not receiving any support with preparing meals.

Often people do not receive adequate information on what kind of food is good for them so they just choose things that are quick and easy to prepare. As a nurse, you should talk to patients about their diet and make sure they understand what foods they should consume each day.

What are the rules patients should follow when managing nutrition?

Here are some tips you can give to patients when you talk to them about nutrition and hydration.

Focus on proportions	As Health Canada explains ‘a balanced meal should be half fruits and vegetables, one-quarter protein-rich foods and another quarter whole grain products.’ This rule is easy to remember so when you interact with patients make sure to pass it on to them.
Consume protein-rich foods	Examples of products that are rich in protein are meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, yogurt, cheese, and milk.
Eat regular meals	Many patients eat at different times each day and often skip meals when they are busy. Make sure to talk to them about their eating habits and help them prepare a schedule that will make their meals more regular.
Consume grain products	Grain products are important sources of fiber, vitamin B, and iron. They can help reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases so patients should make sure to include some of them in their diet. Examples of grain products you can recommend to them are: brown rice, whole grain bread, oats.

Why is hydration important?

Drinking enough water throughout the day is very important but many people forget about it, especially when they are not feeling thirsty. Hydration is very important as it helps our bodies regulate temperature. It also delivers nutrients to cells and servwoes as a lubricant for our joints and muscles, Mountainside Medical Center explains. It adds that ‘drinking adequate water helps us sleep better, improves mood, fights infections, and can improve cognition.’

You should explain these things to patients as many of them are not aware of the role that water plays in our diet. Moreover, many people replace water with sweet drinks or coffee. You should tell them that while these things, as long as they are consumed in small quantities, can be an addition to the diet but should not replace water.

Here are some of the most important benefits of drinking water that you can share with your patients:

Good hydration helps improve physical performance
Good hydration can reduce fatigue and improve our motivation
Thanks to drinking enough water our brain functions better and our concentration improves
Good hydration can prevent and treat headaches, which are often caused by dehydration
Drinking enough water can help us lose weight.

Even small levels of dehydration can affect our mental and physical well being, Health experts usually recommend 2 liters a day as a minimum amount we should consume. This amount varies depending on the individual needs of each person, however. How much water you need depends on factors such as:

The climate where you live – if it is hot and humid you need to drink more water
Your diet – if you consume a lot of salt and caffeinated products, you need to drink more water to compensate
Your daily habits – if you are an active person and you walk or exercise a lot, you need to drink more water than those who spend their days sitting at a desk
Your health – if you have any medical conditions, for example, diabetes you might have to drink more water.

When you are talking to patients make sure to ask them about these things and give them recommendations on how much water they should drink each day.

What role do nurses have in patient nutrition and hydration?

Being a nurse means you are at least partially responsible for ensuring your patients receive good nutritional care. Some of your tasks, especially if you are working at a care home, might include:

Distributing food and drinks to patients
Collecting and clearing meals
Preparing patients’ food and drinks.

Sometimes there might be special, separate staff responsible for these things but you might be asked to assist with them. Even if that is not your responsibility, you can always mention hydration and nutrition in conversations with patients to ensure they understand the basics of it.

Moreover, as the paper on the role of nurses in nutritional care argues ‘Nurses play a key multidisciplinary role as they have the most contact with patients and often initially provide nutrition screening, referral, and facilitation of recommendations to adjust a diet plan and implementation of a special diet modification with patients, their family, or significant carer.’

Nurses definitely play a huge role in helping patients manage their nutrition and hydration. As a nurse, you have the power to help patients avoid malnutrition, thus improving their health and their quality of life. You can help them make dietary changes, educate them about the nutritional content of food, and you can explain to them how to make their meals healthy.

What barriers can you face as a nurse wanting to improve patients’ nutrition?

Helping patients improve their nutrition and hydration can be a rewarding task but it not always is an easy one. The main barrier you might face when interacting with patients whose eating habits put them at risk of malnutrition is them not seeing the need to change their way of eating. Many remain reluctant to change and prefer to choose unhealthy foods. When you encounter such patients you should gradually raise their awareness about why hydration and nutrition matter and why their habits are harmful to their health.

Sometimes implementing positive changes in their lives can take time so you should first establish a good relationship with them. If you get close to them and you show them that you truly care about them, they will be more likely to listen to your advice.

Providing good nutrition and hydration is crucial to prevent problems associated with malnutrition. It can significantly improve the overall well being of patients. That is why even if you encounter certain obstacles, you should not give up in trying to help them improve their nutritional knowledge.