A significant element of Lamar University’s online Registered Nurse (RN) to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is its emphasis on nurses developing knowledge and skills in holistic healthcare. Graduates of this program learn to consider patients’ unique “physiological, psychological, sociological, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects” in treatments to better serve them and their communities.
Nutrition is a fundamental part of life that can vary between patients for various reasons, which nurses must acknowledge and address in their holistic approaches and assessments. The COVID-19 pandemic reinforced what medical professionals have known for decades: nutrition matters. What you eat plays a key role in how well — or how poorly — your immune system works.
While other factors contribute to a suppressed immune system, good nutrition can counteract their effects. Because nurses are often the go-to point of communication with patients, they can serve as influencers and educators about nutrition and consider the whole person when deciding how to educate them on dietary changes. With an advanced nursing degree from Lamar University, graduates will have the foundational nutrition and holistic health knowledge to be great nurses.
How Does Nutrition Impact Health?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that people with obesity are “at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.” The link between obesity and coronavirus mortality surfaced in findings by a team of experts in Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, according to Medical News Today.
Of course, the COVID-19 virus isn’t the only health condition made worse by inadequate nutrition habits. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, gallbladder disease, some types of cancer, sleep apnea, asthma, osteoarthritis, acne and impaired fertility.
Unhealthy eating habits can also lead to tooth decay, which, if left untreated, increases the risk of infection and even life-threatening complications. Poor nutrition may also advance mental health struggles, including depression and anxiety.
Which Populations Are in Greatest Need of Nutrition Help?
A lack of nutrition affects populations in certain areas of the U.S. more than others. A Gallup poll from 2019 revealed that individuals in the Midwestern and Southern states are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating. Some of this concerns high levels of income disparity in these areas. For a family that is struggling, the dollar menu at a fast-food establishment is more budget-friendly than fresh meat and produce.
Looking closer at demographics, the geriatric population often suffers from malnutrition due to a number of circumstances. Along with age comes a natural loss of smell, taste and appetite. Medications may impact one’s appetite or capacity to absorb vital nutrients. For those with dementia, remembering to eat becomes an issue. For many seniors, eating alone removes the enjoyment of food.
How Can Nurses Support Nutrition Education?
Nurses don’t typically get much training in nutrition — certainly not as much as a dietitian or certified nutrition specialist. However, their constant interface with patients means they possess a special relationship that provides a sense of trust. Even if nurses aren’t dispensing nutrition advice, they may be able to influence a patient’s inclination to seek help from a nutrition expert.
However, providing nutrition advice does not exist without challenges, particularly when the subject of weight is involved. It’s a sensitive and difficult topic to broach. An article from Physicians Practice summarizes a few tactics physicians can use to overcome the delicate nature of nutrition-related conversations. With adjustments, some of the tactics apply to nurses as well.
- Learn about nutrition science and how to break it down. Many resources speak to the value of nutrition in medical applications. As trained medical professionals, nurses pick up quickly on the terminology and context. Still, it’s important to put nutrition knowledge in terms that patients can understand and apply.
- Build relationships with dietitians and refer patients to them for treatment. This may be easier for nurses who work within a larger health system and have access to in-house nutrition experts. For nurses who work in smaller clinics, emailing a local nutrition practitioner is a way to begin building those relationships.
- Enter every conversation in a non-judgmental way. Being accepting is a great way to get patients to open up. Try being inquisitive and factual yet compassionate. Remember, many patients are searching for solutions but perhaps don’t know how to start on a healthier path.
- Act as a role model and a confidant. Sharing success stories — your own or another (anonymous) patient’s — can be very motivational. Reflect on your own healthy practices and be open to sharing them if patients are curious to learn more.
Extend Your Reach of Patient Advocacy
Nutrition is about more than weight. The overall consequences of neglecting healthy nutrition habits are considerable. As patient advocates, nurses can use nutrition knowledge to advance the health of their charges.
The Lamar University online RN to BSN program’s emphasis on holistic healthcare ensures graduates know best practices for broaching nutrition issues and conversations with greater understanding and consideration for the patient’s circumstances.
For example, the program offers a Comprehensive Holistic Health Assessment course that teaches students to “perform comprehensive patient-centered holistic health assessments to identify health promotion, risk assessment, and disease prevention behaviors.” The Nursing Practice: Care of Communities course examines how health is influenced by various determinants, including “cultural and ethical influences” and “local, state, national and global health issues,” focusing on “related health promotion/disease prevention, maintenance, restoration, and population risk reduction outcomes.”
Specific to nutrition, the online RN to BSN program has a Basic Nutrition course that introduces students to the basics of nutrition, digestion, absorption, metabolism and other factors that impact diet therapy, patient assessment and patient counseling. This foundational knowledge will serve them to be informed nurses who prioritize patients’ nutritional well-being.
Learn more about Lamar University’s RN to BSN online program.
