Principles
The RCN Principles for Nutrition and Hydration (Publication code: 003 157) were published on Wednesday 18 April 2007 and cover three areas:
- accountability
- responsibility
- leadership and management.
The principles are designed to help nurses of all levels improve the nutrition and hydration of patients, clients and users within demanding and challenging settings and times.
They have been developed in collaboration with patient groups, frontline nurses including health care support workers through to clinical leaders and executive nurse leaders.
Whilst the principles focus on the nurse’s role, the RCN recognises that chief executives, executive directors, and other members of the multi-disciplinary team, including caterers, doctors, dieticians and speech and language therapists, have an important role to play in the provision of effective nutrition and hydration to patients.
We believe it is only through a multi-disciplinary approach that good nutritional care can be achieved.
You can download a copy of the Principles (PDF, 460KB)
Principle: accountability
Every member of the nursing team is accountable for:
- providing some aspect of nutritional care, be that at frontline delivery or executive board level
- assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating the nutritional and hydration needs of patients, clients and users
- contributing to ongoing monitoring, evaluation and review of the nutrition of patients, clients and users through clinical governance systems
Principle: responsibility
All nurses are responsible for:
- providing person-centred and evidence-based care. In relation to nutrition this means ensuring that all aspects of nutrition are taken into account and acted upon in the context of the person’s individual needs
- keeping up to date through accessing and using quality information and evidence about nutrition and hydration through continuous professional development
- challenging poor practice in relation to nutrition and hydration
- assessing the environment and ensuring it supports good nutritional care
- evaluating the impact of nutrition and hydration care plans and making the necessary changes
- contributing to multi-professional and multi-agency working that achieves seamless nutritional care
- dedicating time to prioritise the nutritional needs of patients, clients and users with protected meal times
- knowing the recognised process in each organisation for anticipating, minimising, recording and reporting nutritional risks to patients, clients and users.
Principle: leadership and management
- Executive nurses have the responsibility for ensuring that nutritional care is prioritised at board level and that systems are in place to support this
- Team leaders are responsible for enabling effective organisation of care so that the provision of food and nutrition will be prioritised and patients, clients and users experience care that meets their needs as they see them
- All nurses in their leadership role are responsible for enabling others to provide good nutritional care.