It is now widely publicized that diet and lifestyle in general play a massive role in the health of the nation. Yet, the statistics still continue to be alarming. It is estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in the US every year due to preventable causes, particularly deaths resulting from lifestyle choices.
It shows there is still a lot of work to be done to promote the wisdom of sensible eating, getting enough exercise, and giving up health risks such as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Some of the main categories of healthcare professionals taking a significant lead in addressing this issue include nurse practitioners, including those specializing in nutrition, and others working in communities as family nurse practitioners (FNPs).
Both of these advanced nursing careers can involve helping people of all ages, genders, cultures, and ethnicities to better understand the importance of good nutrition and regular exercise. However, it is the specialist nutritional nurses who are often supporting patients who have particular dietary needs and goals.
As these are the frontline healthcare staff in tackling healthier lifestyles and diets, it is no surprise that there is high demand for new recruits. In 2020, there were roughly 220,000 nurse practitioners in community and hospital roles across the US. By 2030, it is estimated the figure will be around 330,000, to keep pace with the vital responsibilities they carry.
Specialist nutritional nurses
Having qualified as a nurse practitioner, and possibly even gaining an FNP qualification first, some people go on to specialize in nutritional topics.
One of their most common tasks is helping patients to recover from medical issues by focusing on particular dietary measures. For example, a nutritional nurse would work with someone with a diagnosis of diabetes to explain the diet that would help them to manage their condition well.
Or, following a substantial surgery, a nutritional nurse could advise a patient, their families, and other carers on the best foods to introduce to ensure they get manageable nutritional support during the healing process.
Helping patients with weight management would come within the remit of a nutritional nurse specialist too. That could be tackling obesity, but also helping patients to gain weight successfully following an eating disorder or long illness.
Nutritional nurses may well see patients regularly to check up on their progress and dietary adherence. They can also be responsible for consulting with other healthcare professionals, such as dietary specialists.
In a community role, nutritional nurses are often tasked with a wider approach, and finding healthy eating options for a school, hospital, or local area, for instance. This public health role transitions into preventative healthcare and builds an understanding of how nutrition and lifestyle impact health risks.
The role of family nurse practitioner
FNPs support family practice doctors and specialist clinics. They also often work with new mothers, visiting them in their homes to help them give their babies the best possible start to life.
These advanced nurses are trained to provide a wide range of healthcare services, including helping to get a diagnosis, ensuring a patient is engaging with their treatment, and monitoring progress as the individual works towards recovery.
As these nurse practitioners are trained to a very high level of competence, they are trusted to carry out various medical tasks that would traditionally have been assigned to physicians. However, they too are often tasked with preventative healthcare activities and education.
They certainly need to be aware of patients displaying behaviors and signs that suggest their lifestyle habits are putting their health at risk. Such as when an overweight patient has a health problem that could improve through weight management.
Training for multi-faceted nursing roles
You can see from the above that both nutritional nurse specialists and family nurse practitioners have wide-ranging responsibilities and handle sensitive issues with their patients. This includes helping reluctant, embarrassed, or even distressed patients to make important changes to their diet and other habits.
This means it is vital for nurses to have excellent communication skills, alongside in-depth medical knowledge and abilities. They must be able to take medical histories in a logical and sound manner, but also to know how to put patients at ease so they open up and give honest answers. Showing empathy, interest, and compassion can help advanced nurses do their job, and so can the ability to read non-verbal cues, and to evaluate physical signs of things that a patient is leaving unsaid.
This crucial mix of personal and professional skills is certainly the desired outcome of any training provided to family nurse practitioners, such as higher education from reputable institutions. Students training at Carson-Newman University, for example, will obtain other desirable attributes that will prime them to become a successful FNP. For example, in the curriculum of this post-master’s FNP certificate online program, which includes residency experience, there are activities to build confidence in problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making.
The program also provides opportunities to develop a holistic advanced practice nursing skill set. Holistic practice means seeing the ‘whole’ patient, and knowing how to support their emotional, mental, and spiritual health, not just their physical symptoms. It’s the sort of training that enables FNPs to provide comprehensive care, assisting patients to not only recover well but to live well too.
It could also be a superb grounding for specialist nutritional nurses.
Does being sensible mean being boring?
One of the things that nurses with a public health role regularly emphasize is that making good decisions about diet and lifestyle doesn’t have to mean being miserable.
That’s partly because one of the advantages of balanced nutrition and regular exercise is more energy to do things you enjoy, and healthier sleep, which can lead to further vitality during the day.
Improved physical health means better mental health too. Added to that, you will benefit from the hormones you release from exercise, including endorphins that lift your mood and even potentially improve your memory.
Also, having a healthy diet, as advised by specialist nurses and FNPs, doesn’t have to mean lots of salads and no desserts. There are ways to create healthy meals that are also delicious and varied. Or, you can cook traditional favorites but use less sugar, fat, and salt.
Having ‘me time’ and treats is all part of the general health advice that FNPs and nutritional nurses are keen to deliver. That includes encouraging you to find your own self-care activities, and explaining why you shouldn’t feel guilty for taking time for yourself!