Assessing Staff Knowledge of Nutritional Management in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Quality Improvement Project.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a chronic illness linked to major metabolic abnormalities, including high levels of potassium and phosphorus. These abnormalities can lead to serious complications, such as bone and cardiovascular diseases. There are established dietary guidelines for the treatment of CKD, yet many patients still struggle with their effectiveness and adherence. The 2020 Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (KDOQI) nutrition in CKD update and other renal dietary guidelines provide evidence-based suggestions for controlling these risks through medical nutrition therapy, protein and energy intake, nutritional evaluation, and electrolytes; however, effective implementation is still limited by provider knowledge gaps. This quality improvement project used an organized staff education program on renal nutrition to close that gap. Results of this project indicate that nephrology staff preparedness to reinforce nutritional education for patients with CKD may be enhanced by a systematic renal nutrition education intervention.