Page 7 - Nutrition Essentials for Nursing Practice

Preface

L ike air and sleep, nutrition is a basic human need essential for survival. Nutrition provides
energy and vitality, helps reduce the risk of chronic disease, and can aid in recovery. It is a
dynamic blend of science and art, evolving over time and in response to technological advances
and cultural shifts. Nutrition at its most basic level is food—for the mind, body, and soul.

Although considered the realm of the dietitian, nutrition is a vital and integral compo-
nent of nursing care. Today’s nurses need to know, understand, apply, analyze, synthesize,
and evaluate nutrition throughout the life cycle and along the wellness/illness continuum.
They incorporate nutrition into all aspects of nursing care plans, from assessment and
nursing diagnoses to implementation and evaluation. By virtue of their close contact with
patients and families, nurses are often on the front line in facilitating nutrition. This text
seeks to give student nurses a practical and valuable nutrition foundation to better serve
themselves and their clients.

NEW TO THIS EDITION

This seventh edition continues the approach of providing the essential information nurses
need to know for practice. Building upon this framework, content has been thoroughly
updated to reflect the latest evidence-based practice. Examples of content updates that are
new to this edition are as follows:

■ MyPlate, which replaces MyPyramid as the graphic to illustrate the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans

■ Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for calcium and vitamin D
■ Inclusion of a validated stand-alone nutrition screening tool for older adults that is ap-

propriate for community settings and in clinical practice
■ Expanded coverage of bariatric surgery and obesity in general, particularly with regard

to the importance of behavioral strategies for navigating our increasingly obesogenic
environment
■ The low-FODMAP (fermental oligo-, di-, and monosaccharides and polyols) diet for
irritable bowel syndrome and possibly other gastrointestinal disorders
■ A shift in focus from single nutrients (e.g., saturated fat) to a food pattern approach (e.g.,
the DASH diet) for communicating and implementing a heart healthy diet
■ Updated 2011 nutrition therapy guidelines for patients with chronic kidney disease who
are not on dialysis

ORGANIZATION OF THE TEXT

Unit One is devoted to Principles of Nutrition. It begins with Chapter 1, Nutrition in
Nursing, which focuses on why and how nutrition is important to nurses in all settings.
Chapters devoted to carbohydrates, protein, lipids, vitamins, water and minerals, and energy
balance provide a foundation for wellness. The second part of each chapter highlights health
promotion topics and demonstrates practical application of essential information, such as
how to increase fiber intake, criteria to consider when buying a vitamin supplement, and the
risks and benefits of a vegetarian diet.

v