Nutritional status: assessing and understanding its value in the critical care setting.

The nutritional assessment is a key determinant in establishing risk for malnutrition and is also valuable in predicting outcomes in the critical care setting. Studies have demonstrated that nurses who are aware of the impact of nutrition and have operational aptitude can influence patient outcomes through early intervention. This intervention can result in shortened recovery time and decreased lengths of stay. Knowledge of nutrition's effect in the acute and critically ill patient is integral for nursing to predict and promote outcomes successfully in the critical care setting.