Nurses and nutrition: a survey of knowledge and attitudes regarding nutrition assessment and care of hospitalized elderly patients.

BACKGROUND Nurses' knowledge and attitudes regarding nutrition care play an important role in patient nutrition assessment and intervention. This study measured the association between nutrition knowledge and attitudes about nutrition care and feeding patients among nurses working in hospital settings. METHODS This cross-sectional survey queried nutrition knowledge, attitudes, clinical applications, and task rankings using structured questionnaires in a representative sample of 106 nurses employed at two large government hospitals. RESULTS The mean proportion of correct responses to the nutrition knowledge questionnaire was 51.9% ± 0.1%. Nutrition care tasks, including feeding patients, performing nutrition assessment, and providing appropriate food to patients, were ranked as relatively unimportant. A significant positive association was identified between total nutrition knowledge score and the importance placed on the role of nutrition in health and disease. CONCLUSION Nutrition education for nursing staff could improve both nutrition knowledge and willingness and confidence to perform nutrition assessment.