Abstract

ACUNA, K. et al. A proposal for clinical nutrition education for health care university students and professionals in the Amazon. Nutr. Hosp. [online]. 2004, vol.19, n.6, pp.353-361. ISSN 1699-5198.

Changes in nutritional status are related to an increase in morbidity and mortality. It is well established that health care professionals, particularly physicians, lack formal education to recognize nutritional disorders, which malnutrition may worsen in the hospital, and that appropriate education could effectively correct this problem. Aim: To evaluate the awareness of the health care university students and professionals about the nutrition disorders in Amazon region hospitalized patients before and after a specific education program. Study design: An intensive Course on Clinical Nutrition, given in three weekly classes was offered to the multidisciplinary health care students and professionals of the health care tem. Cases and methods: 195 participants started the course. They were 97 students of nursing, 52 students of medicine, 20 nurses, 15 resident physicians, 3 physicians, 3 dietitians, 2 others, 1 no answer. 165 participants concluded it. Precourse and postcourse tests were answered. The results of these tests are presented in this study. Results and Discussion: 76.4% of the participants were graduation students. 40% of participants had no contact with patients yet. When the exposure of the participants of the course to the theme Nutrition was analyzed, 46.7% of the resident physicians considered their contact with the subject superficial and 13.3% had no contact with it, reinforcing the physician´s lack of knowledge to recognize malnutrition. Participants admitted having significantly profited from the course. Conclusions: the lack of awareness of the multidisciplinary health care team about nutritional disorders may contribute to worsen hospital malnutrition. An intensive course for graduate students and residents may help to raise awareness for clinical nutrition. The great interest and enthusiasm shown by the students and other participants and the profit obtained by them from the course suggest that teaching of clinical nutrition should be implemented in all health care schools.

Keywords : Nutrition disorders; Hospital malnutrition; Clinical Nutrition; Nutritional Assessment Hospital; Education-Nutrition; Acre; Brazil.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in English     · English ( pdf )