Implementation of nutritional care in hospitals: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators using implementation theory

BACKGROUND: Disease-related malnutrition is prevalent among hospitalised patients, but not all patients achieve the needed nutritional care. At a Danish University Hospital, focus has been on implementing nutritional practices based on clinical guidelines, but there is continuously variation between the wards regarding the quality of nutritional care.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify the potential barriers and facilitators for implementation of the clinical guidelines for nutritional practices and to recommend suggestions for development of nutritional practices, using a theoretical implementation strategy.

METHOD: The design was a qualitative interview study of employees at a Danish University Hospital, using a semi-structured interview guide. The participants were nurses, nurse's assistant, nurse nutrition expert, head nurse and dieticians. We recruited 11 employees, representing eight different wards.

FINDINGS: The analysis identified six themes: (1) clear allocation of responsibilities and committed management enhances nutrition practices, (2) leadership support is essential, (3) physical settings and tools affect possibilities for action, (4) selection of equivalent staff is core, (5) teaching promotes the knowledge and skills and (6) a dietitian in the ward facilitates implementation of nutritional care. Barriers and facilitators among the themes were identified and has led to suggestions to strengthen nutritional care, based on implementation theory.

CONCLUSION: Various factors were identified as having impact on the implementation of nutrition practices and different suggestions have emerged to accommodate those factors, as well as to apply an implementation strategy to facilitate change in practice.