Hospital Clinical Nutrition Course

Lesson 1 • Macronutrients in Clinical Context

Covers protein, carbohydrate, and fat metabolism relevant to illness. Links nutrient physiology to altered metabolic states seen in hospitalised patients.

Lesson 2 • Fluid and Electrolyte Physiology

Introduces fluid compartments, osmolality, and electrolyte regulation. Provides the physiological basis for hydration management in clinical settings.

Lesson 3 • Micronutrients and Clinical Deficiencies

Examines vitamins and minerals critical to wound healing and immune function. Connects deficiency patterns to common hospital diagnoses.

Lesson 4 • Nutrition and the Immune Response

Explores how nutritional status modulates immune defence and inflammation. Establishes rationale for early nutrition intervention in acutely ill patients.

Lesson 1 • Diagnosing Malnutrition in Hospital Patients

Applies global consensus criteria to classify malnutrition severity in adults. Prepares clinicians to communicate diagnoses within the interdisciplinary team.

Lesson 2 • Nutrition Screening Tools and Protocols

Introduces validated screening instruments used at hospital admission. Establishes the distinction between screening and full assessment in clinical workflow.

Lesson 3 • Dietary History and Intake Analysis

Teaches structured methods for collecting and analysing patient dietary intake data. Supports identification of nutrient gaps driving clinical risk.

Lesson 4 • Anthropometric and Body Composition Measures

Covers weight, height, BMI, and body composition techniques applicable at bedside. Connects measurement accuracy to reliable nutrition diagnosis.

Lesson 1 • Therapeutic Diet Modifications

Covers texture, consistency, and nutrient-modified diets used across hospital units. Connects diet order selection to swallowing safety and patient tolerance.

Lesson 2 • Monitoring and Evaluating Nutrition Outcomes

Establishes indicators and timelines for reassessing nutrition intervention effectiveness. Teaches iterative plan adjustment based on clinical response.

Lesson 3 • Developing the Nutrition Care Plan

Structures the nutrition care process from problem identification to goal-setting. Anchors care planning in patient-centred and diagnosis-specific priorities.

Lesson 4 • Macronutrient Prescription in Disease States

Applies disease-specific protein, carbohydrate, and fat targets to clinical scenarios. Builds skill in adjusting macronutrient ratios based on metabolic demands.

Lesson 1 • Enteral Formula Selection

Classifies standard, disease-specific, and immune-modulating enteral formulas. Guides formula matching to patient diagnosis, tolerance, and kilojoule density needs.

Lesson 2 • Enteral Access Devices and Placement

Covers nasogastric, nasoenteric, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy tube types and placement verification. Links device selection to feeding duration and aspiration risk.

Lesson 3 • Initiating and Advancing Enteral Feeding

Teaches rate initiation, advancement protocols, and tolerance monitoring for tube feeding. Reduces risk of refeeding syndrome and gastrointestinal complications.

Lesson 4 • Troubleshooting Enteral Nutrition Complications

Identifies and resolves mechanical, gastrointestinal, and metabolic complications of tube feeding. Builds clinical confidence in managing adverse events at the bedside.

Lesson 1 • Parenteral Nutrition Macronutrient Formulation

Teaches calculation of dextrose, amino acid, and lipid components in parenteral solutions. Grounds formulation decisions in patient-specific energy and protein targets.

Lesson 2 • Complications of Parenteral Nutrition

Identifies infectious, metabolic, and hepatic complications associated with parenteral nutrition. Develops systematic approaches to prevention and clinical management.

Lesson 3 • Micronutrient and Additive Management

Covers electrolyte, vitamin, and trace element additions to parenteral solutions. Prevents deficiency and toxicity through individualised additive prescribing.

Lesson 4 • Indications and Vascular Access for Parenteral Nutrition

Defines clinical scenarios requiring parenteral nutrition and appropriate vascular access types. Connects catheter selection to infusion osmolality and treatment duration.

Lesson 1 • Enteral Nutrition Challenges in the ICU

Addresses barriers to enteral feeding delivery in critically ill patients, including haemodynamic instability and prone positioning. Builds strategies to maximise enteral delivery.

Lesson 2 • Metabolic Response to Critical Illness

Describes the hypermetabolic, catabolic phases of critical illness and their nutritional consequences. Provides the physiological rationale for ICU-specific nutrition targets.

Lesson 3 • Nutrition Timing and Dosing in the ICU

Establishes evidence-based timelines and kilojoule targets for early nutrition in critically ill patients. Addresses permissive underfeeding and trophic feeding strategies.

Lesson 4 • Nutrition Rehabilitation After Critical Illness

Addresses post-ICU syndrome, muscle recovery, and nutrition support during step-down care. Bridges acute nutrition management to long-term functional recovery.

Lesson 1 • Nutrition in Gastrointestinal Disorders

Covers nutrition management for IBD, short bowel syndrome, pancreatitis, and liver disease. Connects GI pathophysiology to route, formula, and nutrient modifications.

Lesson 2 • Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Nutrition

Covers heart failure, post-cardiac surgery, COPD, and respiratory failure nutrition strategies. Aligns macronutrient ratios and fluid targets with cardiopulmonary physiology.

Lesson 3 • Oncology Nutrition Support

Addresses cancer cachexia, treatment-related side effects, and nutrition support across cancer treatment phases. Maintains nutritional status to support treatment tolerance.

Lesson 4 • Renal Disease and Nutrition Therapy

Addresses protein, potassium, phosphorus, and fluid management across CKD stages and dialysis modalities. Prevents uraemic complications through precise nutrient prescription.

Lesson 1 • Neonatal and Infant Nutrition Support

Covers human milk, formula selection, and parenteral nutrition in neonates and premature infants. Addresses the unique metabolic fragility of the neonatal period.

Lesson 2 • Geriatric Nutrition Assessment and Sarcopenia

Addresses age-related changes in body composition, appetite, and nutrient absorption in older adults. Connects sarcopenia and frailty to targeted nutrition interventions.

Lesson 3 • Paediatric Disease-Specific Nutrition

Applies nutrition therapy to cystic fibrosis, congenital heart disease, and paediatric oncology. Builds competency in managing complex paediatric nutrition cases.

Lesson 4 • Nutrition Interventions for Older Hospital Patients

Applies protein-enriched, texture-modified, and oral supplement strategies to geriatric inpatients. Reduces hospital-acquired malnutrition and functional decline in older adults.