Abstract
M.Cur.
The intensive care nurse is lawfully required to maintain the nutrition of
patients in the intensive care unit with which she is concerned, This
includes the assessment of the nutritional status, planning and
implementation of the nutritional regimen, as well as evaluation of the
effect of nutritional support on the patient. Recording of this information
is an important part of the abovementioned processes.
Through the correct and scientific administering of nutritional support, as
well as co-operation by the members of the nutritional support.team, aid the
intensive care nurse in restoring, maintaining and promoting the patient's
health. The intensive care nurse hereby facilitates the patient's aim to
be healthy.
The purpose of this study is:
to determine the involvement of the nutritional support team with regard
to the nutritional regimens of patients in surgical intensive care units;
- to evaluate existing individual nutritional regimens of patients in the
concerned intensive care units, and
to establish guidelines for the nurse in intensive care units, regarding
the administering of nutrition to the surgical patient.
An exploratory-descriptive research design in
questioning and retrospective auditing, is used.
by means of one structured audit form.
The results indicate the following:
which use is made of
Auditing has taken place
- the involvement of the members of the nutritional support team,
especially the dietician who should play an important role in the
nutritional support of patients in surgical intensive care units, is
inadequate;
- the steps in the process of nutritional support, namely assessment of the
nutritional status and planning of nutritional regimens achieved a low
percentage of entirety. Implementation achieved a high percentage, but
it was the complete execution of nutritional regimens that was
inadequately planned. Furthermore the nurse's report regarding the
evaluation of nutritional regimens and nutritional status was present,
but incomplete and inaccurate...