Registered Mental Health Nursing (RMN)
FEEDING A HYPOACTIVE PATIENT
This is the act of meeting the daily nutritional requirement of a patient who is less active, withdrawn and retarded. The food served should be a balanced/nutrient dense diet.
Purpose
- Maintain right amount of patient’s daily nutritional status
- Keep patient hydrated
- Boost the energy level of patient
- Promote recovery
Equipment
- Trolley containing the following:
- Top shelf: A jar of water
- Tray containing the following:
- Food in a plastic bowl
- A plastic cup
- Cutlery
- Flowers
- Condiments
- Disposable tissue paper
- Bottom Shelf
- Mackintosh/protective covering
- Sputum mug
- Hand washing soap
- Hand washing bowl
Procedure steps
- Establish rapport (refer procedure)
- Explain the procedure to the patient
- Prepare patient’s food trolley with preferred food and send it to the bed side/appropriate place
- Provide privacy
- Put patient in a desired position and cover his/her chest with protective material
- Perform hand hygiene and assist patient to do same
- Give patient water to rinse the mouth
- Sit by patient and encourage patient to eat and if this fails, spoon feed patient
- Encourage patient to take food in small bits or feed patient in small bits
- Encourage and give enough time for patient to chew and swallow the food
- Encourage the patient to take at least half of the meals served
- Give patient water as and when appropriate
- Remove protective material
- Assist patient to perform hand hygiene after feeding
- Express appreciation and put patient in a desired position
- Direct patient to the next activity
- Clear the trolley and perform hand hygiene
- Document procedure and any observations made in nurses’ notes/patient’s folder
References and further reading
Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.
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