DISCLAIMER: This content is designed to enhance the study of nursing. This content is generic and is not designed to take into account the specific objectives, needs, and/or circumstances of any particular region or country. To become a nurse, learners must successfully complete a program of study approved by the government or state-regulatory agency in their place of residence. We cannot guarantee that the successful completion of these materials will enable you to practice in your place of residence. Make sure that you are in compliance with the scope of practice of your regulatory body before attempting to put into use or practice any of the knowledge gained.

Course Overview

Welcome to the Nutrition in Nursing course. This course is designed to equip nursing students with essential knowledge of nutrition science and its application in healthcare. The course explores the fundamental principles of nutrition, its role in health promotion and disease prevention, and the nurse's role in nutritional care across various healthcare settings and patient/client populations. The Nutrition in Nursing course is an integral component of the BSN Curriculum. It provides students with the knowledge necessary to deliver comprehensive, client-centered nutritional care in diverse healthcare settings.

Course Development

The Nutrition Course for Nurses is a competency-based course developed in partnership with Nurses International (N.I.) and NextGenU.org (NGU). Competencies were developed in collaboration with subject matter experts in nutrition and nursing education and practice. The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education direct the course objectives. The course uses learning resources from accredited world-class organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH), universities, international guidelines, OpenStax.org, and peer-reviewed journals. The Moodle Learning Management System (LMS) facilitates distance learning.

The course was written by the Nurses International faculty and designed in conjunction with the NextGenU.org design team. 

The Nurses International core faculty writers: Kathleen Capone MS, RN, CNE, EdD; Debra Heinrich RN, EdD; Beth Hutchason RN, MN; Emily Parker RN, MSN, FNP-BC; and Cathrine Fultz RN, BSN, MSN.

 Course Structure

There are ten units to complete, which include:

1. Introduction to Nutrition and Health
2. The Digestive Process
3. Macro and Micronutrients
4. Nutritional Requirements Across the Lifespan
5. Nutritional Assessment, Screening, and Interventions
6. Nutrition and Chronic Disease Management
7. Nutrition and Cancer
8. Nutritional and Eating Disorders
9. Global Health Nutrition
10. Cultural Competency and Nutrition

Each unit includes:

1. Individual lessons with accompanying reading materials
2. PowerPoint presentations
3. Learner self-assessment quizzes
4. Flashcard learning material
5. Case study activities
6. Unit exams

Assessment

A grade of 80% is required on quizzes and unit exams. Submission of required activities for all case studies and reflection exercises is necessary to progress to the next lesson or section.

The estimated completion time is 54 hours.

A comprehensive final exam consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions is administered at the end of the course. 

A grade of 80% is required to pass the exam. If not achieved, learners may self-remediate and attempt a second exam of comparable content.

A certificate of completion is available for download upon successful course completion.

Unit Overview:

This unit provides a foundational understanding of nutrition and its role in healthcare. It covers the definition of nutrition, the basic principles of nutrition science, and the relationship between nutrition and overall health. The unit also explores nursing interventions to promote health and the nurse's role as part of an interdisciplinary team in nutrition care.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

Unit Overview:

This unit focuses on the physiology of digestion and absorption. It identifies the major organs involved in the digestive process, explains the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients, and discusses common digestive disorders and their link to nutrition. The unit also covers the role of enzymes and hormones in digestion.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the major organs involved in the digestive process
• Explain the process of digestion and absorption of nutrients
• Identify common digestive disorders and their link to nutrition

Unit Overview:

This unit explores the function of major macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) in the body. It covers the factors that affect nutrient absorption and the significance of "My Plate" in nutritional education for clients and populations.

Unit Learning Outcome:

• Explain the function of the major macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) in the body

Unit Overview:

This unit examines the nutritional requirements for different stages of life, including pregnancy and lactation, newborns and infants, childhood and adolescence, adults, and older adults. It discusses the causes and effects of nutritional deficiencies at each life stage and the nurse's role in promoting health and preventing disease through nutrition.

Unit Learning Outcome:

• Identify the nutritional requirements for the different stages of life:

  a. Pregnancy and Lactation
  b. Newborns and infants
  c. Childhood and Adolescents
  d. Adults
  e. Older adults

Unit Overview:

This unit analyzes methods and tools used by nurses for comprehensive nutritional assessment and screening of clients. It evaluates the importance of these processes in identifying clients at risk of malnutrition and informing care plans. The unit also covers common diet modifications related to various disease states and evidence-based nursing interventions to address nutritional needs.

Unit Overview:

This unit explains the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of chronic diseases affecting various body systems, including cardiovascular, neurologic, endocrine, hematological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, renal, musculoskeletal, and integumentary systems. It discusses evidence-based nutritional interventions and the nurse's role in promoting health and preventing disease through nutrition.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• Explain the role of nutrition in the prevention and management of the following chronic diseases:

    a. Cardiovascular 
    b. Neurologic
    c. Endocrine
    d. Hematological 
    e. Pulmonary
    f. Gastrointestinal
    g. Renal
    h. Musculoskeletal and Integumentary

Unit Overview:

This unit analyzes the significance of nutrition in cancer prevention and its impact on clients diagnosed with cancer. It identifies common nutritional challenges faced by cancer clients during treatment, describes the process of nutritional assessment for cancer clients, and evaluates evidence-based nursing interventions to support adequate nutrition throughout the care journey.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze the significance of nutrition in cancer prevention and its impact on clients diagnosed with cancer
• Identify and evaluate common nutritional challenges faced by cancer clients during treatment
• Describe the process of nutritional assessment for cancer clients and its importance in care planning
• Evaluate evidence-based nursing interventions to support adequate nutrition for cancer clients throughout their care journey

Unit Overview:

This unit defines eating disorders and analyzes the connection between food, emotions, and various types of eating disorders. It evaluates the physical and nutritional impacts of eating disorders on overall health, analyzes risk factors, diagnostic processes, and medical treatments for different eating disorders, and discusses evidence-based nursing interventions and care plans for management.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• Define eating disorders and analyze the connection between food, emotions, and various types of eating disorders
• Evaluate the physical and nutritional impacts of eating disorders on overall health, including associated deficiencies and malnutrition
• Analyze the risk factors, diagnostic processes, and medical treatments for different eating disorders
• Discuss evidence-based nursing interventions and care plans for the management of clients with nutritional and eating disorders

Unit Overview:

This unit analyzes the global burden of malnutrition and food safety issues, including their impacts on public health and contributing factors. It evaluates the roles of international organizations and regulatory bodies in addressing global nutrition challenges and ensuring food safety standards. The unit also describes evidence-based strategies for promoting proper nutrition and food safety practices in diverse global settings.

Unit Learning Outcomes:

• Analyze the global burden of malnutrition and food safety issues, including their impacts on public health and contributing factors
• Evaluate the roles of international organizations and regulatory bodies in addressing global nutrition challenges and ensuring food safety standards
• Describe evidence-based strategies for promoting proper nutrition and food safety practices in diverse global settings
• Assess the nurse's role in addressing global nutrition issues, promoting health equity, and preventing foodborne illnesses in various healthcare and community contexts

Unit Overview:

This unit defines cultural competency in the context of nutrition and healthcare and explains the importance of cultural considerations in nutritional counseling. It introduces the use of the Purnell Model to assess cultural factors affecting dietary habits and discusses the process of developing and implementing culturally sensitive nutritional care plans.

To take the final exam, you must complete all quizzes and complete all the required activities. The final exam consists of 50 questions, and you will have 125 minutes to answer and submit them. In case you fail the exam in the first attempt, you can retake the final exam again after 1 week. 

To access the exam, click on the name of the exam provided above. On the following screen, click the attempt quiz button to respond to the questions.

In this section, please provide feedback to help NextGenU.org improve its course offering. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.