Nutrition now
Nutrition Now is a clinical campaign launched by the RCN to raise standards of nutrition and hydration in hospitals and the community.
Food and water are essential elements of care - as vital as medication and other types of treatment.
This campaign gives nurses the practical tools, support and evidence they need to make nutrition a priority in the area where they work.
BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week 2010
Calling all hospitals, mental health trusts and care homes...BAPEN needs you and your data. Save the dates 12-14 January 2010 and sign up for BAPEN's Nutrition Screening Week.
With summer and autumn under its belt, BAPEN's winter nutrition screening week (NSW10) will collect seasonal data on prevalence of malnutrition on admission to care and information on nutritional care practice. BAPEN's NSW11 (planned for April 2011) will collect data for spring and combine these data with the other seasons to provide a more complete picture of malnutrition across the UK.
Why sign up? You will contribute to the national data set, strengthening the valuable evidence base to combat malnutrition, and receive local data back allowing you to benchmark your own data and service against the national picture.
Register by emailing the BAPEN office at bapen@sovereignconference.co.uk with 'Sign up for NSW10' in the subject line and providing your full contact details.
Publications associated with the Nutrition Now campaign
Some of these publications are in PDF format. See how to access PDF files.
The RCN Principles for Nutrition and Hydration (RCN publication code 003 157), plus our Hospital Hydration Best Practice Toolkit and a series of factsheets are based on the ten key characteristics for good nutritional care in hospitals. These last two publications have been produced in partnership with the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA).
Enhancing nutritional care booklet (RCN publication code 003 284), containing a summary of four focus sites across the UK. These sites reviewed, implemented and evaluated nutritional care in their clinical setting and it contains their achievements and tips for implementing sustainable changes.
Improving nutritional care workshop CD designed to be used by anyone working in a team who want to enhance nutritional care. It contains a practical structure for delivering a workshop, with thought provoking evidence and ideas to enhance nutritional care and initiate change.
The national clinical guideline on perioperative fasting endorsed by the Royal College of Anaesthetists and the British Association of Day Surgery.
The campaign is supported by Abbot Nutrition. Find out more about the company on the Abbott Nutrition website
To become a supporter of Nutrition Now, please email: rcncampaigns@rcn.org.uk
Core messages
- Nutrition and hydration are essential to care, as vital as medication and other types of treatment.
- It is our responsibility as members of a multi-disciplinary team to ensure patients in our care have the right nutrition and hydration at the right time.
- Working practices that prioritise nutrition and hydration can overcome the challenges that stand in the way of excellence.