The Nutrition Care Process is designed to improve the consistency and quality of individualized care for patients/clients or groups and the predictability of the patient/client outcomes. It is not intended to standardize nutrition care for each patient/client, but to establish a standardized process for providing care.
There are four steps in the process:
- Nutrition Assessment
- Nutrition Diagnosis
- Nutrition Intervention
- Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation
Nutrition Diagnosis: Data collected during the nutrition assessment guides in selection of the appropriate nutrition diagnosis .
Nutrition Intervention: The RDN then selects the nutrition intervention that will be directed to the root cause of the nutrition problem and aimed at alleviating the signs and symptoms of the diagnosis.
Nutrition Monitoring and Evaluation: The final step of the process is monitoring and evaluation, which the RDN uses to determine if the client has achieved, or is making progress toward, the planned goals.
Using the NCP does not mean that all clients get the same care. Use of a care process provides a framework for individualize care, taking into account the clients needs and values and using the best evidence available to make decisions. Other disciplines in healthcare, including nursing, physical therapy and occupational therapy have adopted care processes specific to their discipline.