title: Educational Intervention for Nutrition Education in Patients Attending an Outpatient Wound Care Clinic: A Feasibility Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether nurses could use a structured intervention to educate patients with wounds about foods that promote healing and whether this educational intervention could be provided in a cost-effective manner.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at an outpatient wound care center located on a hospital campus in the Southern United States; 3 full-time nurses and 2 nurses employed on part-time status delivered the intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nutrition education intervention was developed through collaborative efforts of a registered dietitian and a nurse. A cross-sectional survey design was used to (1) evaluate nurses' perceptions of the intervention and (2) identify barriers to implementation of the intervention. Direct costs related to materials and nursing time required to deliver the intervention were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants indicated they were competent to deliver the structured intervention, and all were willing to continue its use. Survey results indicated that nurses believed the intervention was beneficial to their patients and they indicated that patients were responsive to the intervention. The intervention was found to be low cost ($8.00 per teaching session); no barriers to implementation of the intervention were identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this exploratory study suggest that a structured nutrition education intervention can be provided by nurses in outpatient wound clinics at low cost. Further study is needed to determine the impact of this intervention on nutritional intake and wound healing.
authors.affiliation: Lisa M. Green, DNP, RN, College of Nursing, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. Desi Ratcliffe, MS, RD, Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Kathleen Masters, DNS, RN, College of Nursing, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg. Lachel Story, PhD, RN, College of Nursing, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: Desi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ratcliffe
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Masters
authors.forename: Lachel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Story
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014945:Wound Healing