Implementing a Clinical Practice Change: Adopting the Nutrition Care Process

Abstract Title: Implementing a Clinical Practice Change: Adopting the Nutrition Care Process
Introduction: Registered Dietitians (RDs) are fundamental players in the multidisciplinary healthcare team. They conduct nutrition assessments, develop nutrition care plans, and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions. The Nutrition Care Process (NCP) provides a framework to promote uniform documentation between RDs across the profession, and creates a link between the nutrition intervention and the predicted or actual nutrition outcome. The benefits of standardized documentation has been well-recognized across other professions, and the NCP has been integrated in a number of institutions internationally.
Objective: A committee of non-management RDs at The Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) led the Department of Clinical Dietetics to adopt the NCP. The objective of the committee was to provide a transparent learning plan, evidence-based education sessions, and practical tools and resources to RDs to help them learn and easily adopt the NCP into their practice.
Methods: The committee developed and consecutively delivered a tailored education plan, including learning resources, to five groups of RDs. The committee administered pre- and post-education surveys to measure outcomes, including adequacy of training and confidence level in adopting NCP.
Results: Surveys were completed by all RDs in attendance (n=34 pre-education; n=26 post-education) to compare baseline with end of training results. The average attendance at the education sessions was 77%. Following education, RDs felt they had received sufficient training and felt confident about integrating the NCP into their practice (p<0.05). A decrease in charting time was also observed.
Conclusions: Adopting the NCP was well-received by the department and RDs continue to integrate it into their practice. Part of the success of the NCP adoption may be attributed to the transparency of the education plan, the individualized scheduling of education sessions, and the peer-to-peer instruction style.