When and how to talk to a patient about their diet and lifestyle

Health promotion is an NMC requirement, but discussing weight can be difficult for nurses

• The emotive subject of a patient’s lifestyle and eating habits can be hard for nurses to approach
• NMC’s new proficiency standards require nurses to be competent in health promotion and prevention of ill health
• Experts offer advice on how to get the timing and tone of your health messages right for each patient

Broaching potentially difficult conversations about a patient’s lifestyle issues – such as diet – can be a daunting prospect for even the most experienced nurse.

But the proficiency standards the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) introduced earlier this year are designed to help the whole profession get better at talking to patients about what they eat.