Evaluate Nutritional Strategies to Impact Cardiovascular Wellness

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this section, you should be able to:

• 11.4.1 Evaluate a nutritional plan for its effect on cardiovascular wellness.
• 11.4.2 Modify a nutritional plan to promote cardiovascular wellness.

Evaluating Client Readiness to Follow a Nutritional Plan

Client readiness is an important metric in their desire to make necessary life and nutritional changes. The nurse needs to work with the client to evaluate their desire to change. Most changes involve significant lifestyle adjustments, and if the client isn’t ready, diet changes alone may not be enough. If the client is willing to follow the nutritional plan, the nurse should educate the client on diet modifications. This will help the client understand how much needs to change and ensure they feel that they can follow the plan.

The nurse also needs to evaluate ableness. The nurse should evaluate the challenges and provide recommendations on how to remove those challenges. The nurse must ensure the client is capable of comprehending the information given to them and that they can make decisions on how best to follow the plan. One step to aid in this evaluation is to ask that the client return with a documented meal plan and include appropriate substitutions for daily meals.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Nutritional Plan

Continual monitoring of lab values and blood pressure is the most effective way to evaluate a nutritional plan. The client’s LDL levels should trend downward along with total cholesterol levels, if they were not in normal or optimal ranges. Their blood pressure reading should trend downward to a normal level if it was increased. Levels of prealbumin (a protein produced by the liver) should increase to the normal range if they had been low. BMI should trend downward if it was high. Overall, all values should slowly trend toward standard levels if the client adheres to the nutritional plan and the plan is effective.

Unfolding Case Study

Part C

Read the following clinical scenario and then answer the questions that follow. This case study is a follow-up to Case Study Parts A and B.

Mr. Thompson has returned for his 3-month follow-up. He claims to be compliant with all the required changes he and the provider and nurse previously discussed, and he said he is feeling great. The nurse documents that his blood pressure is 122/78 mm Hg, his BMI is 20 kg/m² (a slight change), and his waist measurement is 38 inches.

5.

Based on these results, what would the nurse conclude about the dietary and exercise changes?

1. They appear effective.
2. They appear ineffective.
3. They are not effective enough.
4. This is not enough information to determine.

6.

When evaluating the client’s caloric intake versus their activity level, what would the nurse document based on these findings?

1. The client appears to be compliant.
2. The client appears to be partially compliant.
3. The client is not compliant.
4. There is not enough information to determine.