Nutrition Assessment: Experience Is Not a Predictor of Knowledge

This study tested an evidence-based nutrition education program for licensed nurses working in nursing homes who scored an average of 56% on a pretest. Posttest scores averaged 66%, demonstrating a continuing deficit of basic nutritional knowledge despite the educational intervention. Statistical analysis revealed that less experienced nurses scored better on posttests than more experienced nurses; more experienced nurses performed nutritional assessment more often than less experienced nurses; and more experienced nurses were usually charge nurses or nurses completing Minimum Data Sets. Although the education did not eliminate all deficits in nutrition knowledge, a decrease in the percentage of residents with significant weight loss was noted.

Storytelling as cultural assessment

This article describes how story was used to teach cultural assessment to baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in clinicals in long-term care facilities. Class sessions focused on learning to elicit and listen to patients' stories and use story as an assessment tool in clinical practice. With their peers, students learned to listen in a nonjudgmental, contextual way to the values and beliefs of the storyteller. They learned that all people, even those from the dominant mainstream culture, have stories to tell, and that stories build bridges between nurses and clients.

Quality improvement practices: enhancing quality of life during mealtimes

This article describes ten dining room problems, identified in a nursing home study, that needed quality improvement, as well as six quality practices suggested for implementation. These six quality practices provide the basis for an excellent eating experience characterized by a home-like atmosphere, high levels of staff-resident interaction, and increased attention to safety and ethical issues. The six practices also could serve as the foundation for a facility-wide, cost-effective, quality improvement program.

Body and carcass composition of Angus and Charolais steers as affected by age and nutrition

The objectives of this study were to examine the effects of a low vs moderate rate of gain during the growing phase on empty body and carcass composition during finishing of Angus and Charolais steers of two ages. Forty-eight Angus and 48 Charolais steers that were either spring-born (OLDER) or fall-born (YOUNGER) were fed two diets (alfalfa pellets [CON] or cubed grass-alfalfa hay, wheat straw, cottonseed hulls, and soybean meal [RES]) for a growing period followed by a conventional feedlot period. The feedlot period started when the YOUNGER-CON steers weighed the same as the OLDER-RES steers. At that time, an interaction of age x diet occurred in empty body fat content (P < .10), whereas breed and age x diet affected carcass fat content (P < .01). OLDER-CON steers were larger (average 378 kg empty BW) and fatter than the other, smaller groups (average 222 kg). Angus carcasses were fatter than Charolais carcasses (P < .01). At the end of the finishing phase, compensating steers (OLDER-RES) had fatter carcasses than OLDER-CON steers. Empty body fat content was affected by a breed x age x diet interaction (P < .10). Allometric regressions (Y = aXb) of fat on empty BW indicated that empty body fat accretion was greater in Angus than in Charolais and in YOUNGER than in OLDER steers. A breed x age x diet interaction (P < .10) indicated that OLDER-Angus had higher fat accretive rates than YOUNGER-Angus, whereas OLDER-CON-Charolais steers deposited fat more slowly than the remaining groups. These data suggest that steers receiving feedlot diets at light weights, whether young in age or previously restricted, accumulate fat more rapidly than do larger steers. This feeding strategy may be an advantage in late-maturing types, but moderate growth through approximately 75% of slaughter weight is recommended for early-maturing types.

Effect of nutrition, age and size on compensatory growth in two breeds of steers

Compensatory gain in cattle was studied to determine if age, previous rate of gain or size were factors of importance. A factorial experiment was conducted with growing diet regimen (control vs restricted), age [spring-born (older) vs fall-born (younger)] and breed (Angus vs Charolais) as the factors. During a growing phase, the two diets, (control = dehydrated alfalfa pellets; restricted = cubed grass-alfalfa hay, cottonseed hulls and soybean meal) were fed to both the older and younger steers of each breed to provide groups of similar age but different weights (growing regimen within age) and groups of similar weights but different ages (older-restricted vs younger-controls) at the time at which the steers were switched to a high concentrate diet. Interactions of breed with age and previous growing regimen diet on digestibility of some nutrients in the finishing diet were evident. During the growing phase, control steers averaged .72 kg/d gain, whereas the restricted steers averaged .25 kg/d. The older-restricted steers compensated (P less than .05) from 30 to 120 d after the beginning of the feedlot phase compared with older-control steers. Rates of gain of younger steers were intermediate to those of the older steers throughout the finish phase and were not influenced by growing diet, except on d 30. Rate of gain during the growing phase was negatively correlated (P less than .05) with rate of gain during the finishing phase (60 to 120 d). Within breed, weight at the beginning of the feedlot phase also was negatively correlated with gain during the finishing phase. Skeletal growth was reduced (P less than.05) by the restricted diet during the growing phase, and small compensation (P greater than .05) was observed during the finishing phase. Feed/gain for restricted steers was slightly lower (P greater than .05) than control steers. Younger steers were more efficient (P less than .05) overall in converting dry matter to gain, due to the relatively shorter growing phase when compared with the older steers. These data indicate that both previous gain and weight upon realimentation are influential on compensatory growth.