Nutrition integration across the nursing curriculum: A novel teaching model within a pre-licensure program

Across the healthcare spectrum, the provision of evidence-based nutrition education is critical in supporting optimal patient care and health outcomes. Nurses are uniquely positioned to deliver nutrition-focused patient education related to health promotion and disease management; yet widespread evidence of sufficient nutrition instruction in nursing curricula is not available. Although lifestyle and nutrition recommendations have historically been the domain of registered dietitians, interprofessional collaboration requires that nurses are prepared to reinforce and support the dissemination of accurate nutrition education. Interdisciplinary teaching approaches are therefore imperative for consistent communication and execution of nutrition guidance. At a private nursing college, an innovative model for nutrition integration across a nursing curriculum has been developed and implemented. This model features an ongoing instructional partnership between registered dietitian faculty and nurse educators. This integrative model enhances nutrition-related nursing competencies demonstrated by undergraduate nursing students and aims to produce graduates who are confident in the delivery of nutrition-related nursing care.

Automated summary

Nutrition education is crucial in supporting optimal patient care and health outcomes across the healthcare spectrum, and nurses need sufficient nutrition education to support health promotion and disease management. The lack of nutrition education in nursing curricula is a common issue, and interdisciplinary collaboration requires nurses to reinforce and support the dissemination of accurate nutrition education.