Clinical Nutrition Nursing Course

Lesson 1 • Nutrition Across the Lifespan

Outlines changing nutrient needs from infancy through older adulthood. Prepares nurses to tailor nutritional care to patients at every developmental stage.

Lesson 2 • Dietary Reference Intakes and Standards

Introduces evidence-based nutrient intake standards used to guide clinical recommendations. Enables nurses to evaluate adequacy of patient diets against established benchmarks.

Lesson 3 • Macronutrients and Energy Metabolism

Covers carbohydrates, proteins, and fats as energy substrates and their metabolic pathways. Provides the biochemical basis for all subsequent clinical nutrition decisions.

Lesson 4 • Micronutrients and Their Clinical Roles

Examines vitamins and minerals essential for physiological function and their deficiency syndromes. Links micronutrient status to patient outcomes and disease risk.

Lesson 1 • Validated Malnutrition Screening Tools

Applies standardised tools such as the MNA, NRS-2002, and MUST to identify at-risk patients. Ensures timely referral and intervention through systematic screening protocols.

Lesson 2 • Biochemical and Laboratory Indicators

Interprets serum proteins, complete blood counts, and metabolic panels as nutritional markers. Connects lab trends to specific nutrient deficiencies and clinical conditions.

Lesson 3 • Anthropometric Measurement Techniques

Teaches accurate measurement of height, weight, BMI, and body composition. These metrics form the quantitative foundation of every nutritional assessment.

Lesson 4 • Dietary Intake Assessment Methods

Applies 24-hour recalls, food frequency questionnaires, and food diaries to quantify intake. Teaches nurses to identify dietary gaps and patterns relevant to clinical goals.

Lesson 1 • Protein Requirements Across Conditions

Determines protein needs based on disease state, wound healing, and muscle preservation goals. Guides nurses in setting protein targets that support recovery and prevent catabolism.

Lesson 2 • Estimating Resting Energy Expenditure

Applies predictive equations including Harris-Benedict and Mifflin-St Jeor to estimate basal needs. Establishes the caloric baseline for all subsequent nutritional prescriptions.

Lesson 3 • Nutritional Goals Documentation

Translates calculated requirements into clear, actionable nutrition care plan entries. Ensures interdisciplinary team alignment on patient-specific nutritional targets.

Lesson 4 • Activity and Stress Factor Adjustments

Applies activity multipliers and metabolic stress factors to resting energy estimates. Ensures caloric targets reflect the true demands of hospitalised and active patients.

Lesson 1 • Monitoring and Managing Enteral Complications

Identifies and manages aspiration, diarrhoea, constipation, tube occlusion, and refeeding syndrome. Systematic monitoring prevents adverse events and maintains feeding efficacy.

Lesson 2 • Enteral Formula Selection

Compares standard, disease-specific, and elemental formulas based on patient needs and gut function. Guides formula choice to optimise tolerance and nutritional adequacy.

Lesson 3 • Indications and Contraindications for Enteral Feeding

Defines clinical criteria for initiating enteral nutrition and conditions requiring alternative support. Enables evidence-based decision-making on feeding route selection.

Lesson 4 • Enteral Access Devices and Placement

Describes nasogastric, nasoenteric, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy tubes and their clinical applications. Prepares nurses to assist with placement and verify correct positioning.

Lesson 1 • Parenteral Nutrition Administration and Safety

Covers aseptic technique, infusion pump programming, and line management during PN delivery. Prevents catheter-related bloodstream infections and medication errors.

Lesson 2 • Metabolic Monitoring During Parenteral Nutrition

Establishes laboratory and clinical monitoring schedules to detect hyperglycaemia, electrolyte shifts, and liver dysfunction. Enables timely PN adjustments to prevent metabolic complications.

Lesson 3 • Transitioning from Parenteral to Enteral Nutrition

Guides the stepwise reduction of PN as enteral tolerance is established to prevent nutritional gaps. Ensures safe, coordinated transition with the interdisciplinary team.

Lesson 4 • Indications and Access for Parenteral Nutrition

Defines clinical scenarios requiring parenteral nutrition and appropriate vascular access selection. Establishes the clinical rationale for central versus peripheral parenteral routes.

Lesson 1 • Nutrition in Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome

Applies carbohydrate-controlled dietary strategies and glycaemic monitoring to diabetic patient management. Integrates nutrition with pharmacological therapy to optimise glucose control.

Lesson 2 • Critical Illness and Trauma Nutrition

Applies early enteral nutrition, protein optimisation, and metabolic monitoring in ICU and trauma patients. Addresses hypermetabolism, immunonutrition, and organ-specific feeding challenges.

Lesson 3 • Oncology Nutrition and Cachexia

Addresses cancer-related malnutrition, cachexia, and treatment-induced side effects on nutritional intake. Supports patients through chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical recovery.

Lesson 4 • Hepatic Disease and Nutritional Support

Addresses malnutrition, protein tolerance, sodium restriction, and encephalopathy risk in liver disease. Tailors nutritional support to preserve liver function and prevent complications.

Lesson 1 • Culturally Responsive Nutrition Education

Integrates cultural food practices, religious dietary laws, and socioeconomic factors into counselling. Builds trust and improves adherence through culturally respectful communication.

Lesson 2 • Developing Patient Education Materials

Designs clear, evidence-based handouts, meal plans, and digital resources for patient self-management. Aligns materials with clinical goals and patient comprehension levels.

Lesson 3 • Health Literacy and Communication Strategies

Adapts nutrition education to varying health literacy levels using plain language and visual aids. Ensures patients understand and can act on dietary recommendations.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Health Behaviour Change

Applies behaviour change theories including motivational interviewing and the transtheoretical model to nutrition counselling. Equips nurses to meet patients at their readiness stage.

Lesson 1 • Quality Improvement Methods in Nutrition

Applies Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, root cause analysis, and audit tools to improve nutrition care processes. Builds capacity to lead sustainable, data-driven improvement projects.

Lesson 2 • Quality Indicators in Clinical Nutrition

Identifies key performance indicators for nutrition screening rates, malnutrition coding, and feeding adequacy. Enables nurses to measure and benchmark nutrition care quality.

Lesson 3 • Nutrition Care Process and Documentation

Applies the standardised nutrition care process: assessment, diagnosis, intervention, and monitoring. Ensures consistent, auditable documentation that supports continuity of care.

Lesson 4 • The Nurse's Role in the Nutrition Care Team

Defines nursing responsibilities within the interdisciplinary nutrition support team alongside dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists. Clarifies scope of practice and collaborative decision-making.