dietary-journal

Dietary Journal Assignment Guidelines

PURPOSE

This assignment provides students the opportunity to apply knowledge regarding a low sodium diet education. A low sodium diet is considered 2.3g or 2300mg sodium limit per day. Through journaling their own experience, the students will be able to discuss barriers that were encountered and reflect upon their feelings so they can empathize with patients who must deal with low sodium diet restrictions as a part of their everyday life.

COURSE OUTCOMES

This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes:

CO #2 – Participate in health maintenance and health restoration activities as member of the health care team.

CO #3 – Demonstrate effective communication skills necessary for collaboration with other health team members and for providing professional nursing care to adult patients and their families.

CO #4 – Apply critical thinking strategies to make good clinical decisions in adult patient clinical settings.

R
EQUIREMENTS

1. In preparation for the dietary journal, answer the following questions in your paper:

  a. Discuss what “My Plate” consists of; how the idea was conceived; how it is utilized.

  b. Do you think “My Plate” is an important concept for people to understand? Why or why not?

  c. Find a research article about low sodium diet and discuss the findings of the article in your paper. (Print abstract from article and attach to paper.)

2. Student will keep track of all foods/beverages consumed:

  a. Day one (1) student will eat what they would normally eat in day.

  b. Day two (2) student will eat a low sodium diet, meaning a maximum 2.3g or 2300mg sodium/day.

c. Daily tracking will be done through https://www.supertracker.usda.gov/foodtracker.aspx (You do not have to set up a profile to use tracker.) or you may use www.myfitnesspal.com.

2. After completion of both days of journaling, student will answer following reflective questions in paragraph form, NOT question and answer.

a. As the nurse instructing a client on a low Sodium diet, what information would you share with the client based upon your experience?

b. What did you learn in regards to shopping at the grocery store for healthy foods that you could share to benefit your clients’ education? (i.e. food labels, store set up, etc.)

c. What type of financial considerations did you encounter? Or should a client expect to encounter?

d. Discuss what you learned in regards to the use of salt substitutes? What do you need to educate in regards to any medications?

e. How did changing your diet so drastically affect your life and what did you do to compensate for the changes?

f. Will you continue with this diet? Why or why not?

GradingCriteria

1. Grading is based on completed journal entries and completely answering reflective questions.

2. Tracking results will be screenshot and attached to the paper (fitness pal)

3. Papers, pre and post questions, will be written in APA format. Paper must have a title and reference page. Please refer to 6th ed. APA manual for formatting questions.