Abstract

Background: The ASPEN recommended initiating enteral nutrition within 24-48 hours of hospital admission to benefit the patient’s outcome.

Problem: Evidence shows the decline in nutritional status for critically ill populations over the week. The unfamiliar impact of nutrition on patient outcomes causes undertreated nutrition risks among patients, increasing the prevalence of hospital-acquired malnutrition.

Methods: The setting is a 20-bed MSICU, accommodating adult patients aged >18 years with medical and surgical critically ill conditions. The project used the Knowledge-To-Action framework. The project measures the hours from MSICU admission or intubation to enteral feeding administration over the 8-week timeframe.

Intervention: The evidence-based interventions adapt the best practice guidelines (BPG) using the nutrition cue card to ensure the administration of early enteral nutrition.

Results: 32 participants were included after post-implementation, and 56 were included before intervention. The time in hours plummeted by 59%, and the majority met the ASPEN criteria of 24-48 hours of feeding time after the intervention.

Conclusions: Employing BPG for EEN prevents suboptimal nutrition delivery. However, a more comprehensive methodology is needed to translate many EEN benefits to other populations.

Notes

References:

Al-Dorzi, H.M, & Arabi, Y.M. (2021). Nutrition support for critically ill patients. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 45, S47-S59. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2228

Barhorst, S., Prior, R.M., & Kanter, D. (2023). Implementation of a best-practice guideline: Early enteral nutrition in a neuroscience intensive care unit. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, 47(1), 87-91. https://doi.org/10.1002/jpen.2411

Koontalay, A., Suksatan, W., & Teranuch, A. (2021). Early enteral nutrition met calories goals led by nurse on improve clinical outcome: A systematic review. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 26(5), 392-398. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_421_20

Description

The impact of nutrition on patient outcomes is not well understood, leading to undertreated nutrition risks and an increased prevalence of hospital-acquired malnutrition. The project aims to establish a standard schedule for initiating early enteral nutrition within 24 to 48 hours based on the 2021 ASPEN guidelines. The nutrition cue card, a best-practice guideline developed by Barhorst et al. (2023), is used to ensure the implementation of early enteral nutrition.

Author Details

Rizaldy I. Bandola, DNP, MSN, RN, CCRN, CES-A, E-AEC

Sigma Membership

Alpha Alpha, Phi Gamma (Virtual)

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Other

Research Approach

Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice

Keywords:

Acute Care, Implementation Science, Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary, Nutrition, Critically Ill Patients

Conference Name

36th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Seattle, Washington, USA

Conference Year

2025

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Click on the above link to access the poster.

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Enriching Nutritional Status in the Intensive Care Unit Through Early Enteral Nutrition

Seattle, Washington, USA

Background: The ASPEN recommended initiating enteral nutrition within 24-48 hours of hospital admission to benefit the patient’s outcome.

Problem: Evidence shows the decline in nutritional status for critically ill populations over the week. The unfamiliar impact of nutrition on patient outcomes causes undertreated nutrition risks among patients, increasing the prevalence of hospital-acquired malnutrition.

Methods: The setting is a 20-bed MSICU, accommodating adult patients aged >18 years with medical and surgical critically ill conditions. The project used the Knowledge-To-Action framework. The project measures the hours from MSICU admission or intubation to enteral feeding administration over the 8-week timeframe.

Intervention: The evidence-based interventions adapt the best practice guidelines (BPG) using the nutrition cue card to ensure the administration of early enteral nutrition.

Results: 32 participants were included after post-implementation, and 56 were included before intervention. The time in hours plummeted by 59%, and the majority met the ASPEN criteria of 24-48 hours of feeding time after the intervention.

Conclusions: Employing BPG for EEN prevents suboptimal nutrition delivery. However, a more comprehensive methodology is needed to translate many EEN benefits to other populations.