18th Annual Nursing and Midwifery Research Conference Docume

School of Nursing and Midwifery Scoil an Altranais agus an Chnáimhseachais

meal delivery, assistance required for both set-up and feeding, time waiting for assistance, amount of meal consumed and interruptions. Data was collected by two observers, on three wards for three meals on two days. Results In total 300 observations on 67 patients was undertaken. Patient profiles indicated high levels of frailty, co-mortifies and polypharmacy. On screening, nearly 30% of patients were categorised as having ‘nutrition risk’. Meal consumption (visually assessed as 0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) showed that 59% of meals were 75-100% eaten, just over 30% were 25-50% consumed, but in 10% of meals nothing was eaten. Factors associated with low meal consumption (<50%) were meal type (51% of lunches were poorly eaten), and modified diets. Patient positioning and interruptions showed little impact on meal consumption. During mealtimes, the majority of support was provided by health care assistances (HCA). Conclusion There was a sub-group of vulnerable patients for whom standard mealtimes and nutrition strategies did not work well. Nurses need to demonstrate leadership and a visible presence to prioritise mealtime above other tasks and ensure a co-ordinated multidisciplinary approach.

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