The fifth vital sign: how to incorporate nutrition in every assessment
Tracks
Stream 2 - Eureka 2
| Friday, March 21, 2025 |
| 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM |
| Eureka 2 |
Overview
Jessica Joosse
Speaker
Jessica Joosse
Royal Canin Anz
The fifth vital sign: how to incorporate nutrition in every assessment
Abstract
Introduction
The veterinary industry is short-staffed and time poor; nutrition can often feel like yet another thing that veterinary professionals need to consider and discuss with pet owners. However, most do not realise that nutrition is the fifth vital sign and should be embedded in every assessment of patient health that we conduct. Every single patient will benefit from an individualised nutritional plan, because every living being must eat to survive. When we fail to support this vital function in our patients, we cannot provide quality care and run the risk of ongoing complications and delayed healing. Whether you work in GP, Specialty or Emergency, nutrition still plays a role in your patient assessments, treatments and management; this is the true meaning of ‘every patient, every time’.
Presentation
Including nutrition as part of your usual assessments – whether you work in GP, Specialty or Emergency – is easier than you might think. In this presentation, we will discuss how to embed nutrition into every touchpoint with your patients, how to enhance the patient journey towards healing in the long and short term and develop a blueprint to use across all areas of the hospital and what that looks like for different roles within the clinic. This isn’t just asking the pet owner ‘what do you feed’ – we will discuss the different ways in which nutritional assessments should be conducted and approaches to patients in various animal care settings.
Outcomes
At the conclusion of this presentation, you will feel confident in assessing the fifth vital sign in patients presenting in all types of veterinary practices and be able to implement changes in your practices protocols and procedures relating to nutrition.
Implication
Ensuring ‘every patient, every time’ nutritional assessments are conducted is vital in both improving pet owner compliance, patient quality of life, and ongoing continuity of care particularly in the face of nutrient-responsive disease. By conducting nutritional assessments as part of every touchpoint, we take a holistic approach to animal health and can detect and prevent issues before they occur.
The veterinary industry is short-staffed and time poor; nutrition can often feel like yet another thing that veterinary professionals need to consider and discuss with pet owners. However, most do not realise that nutrition is the fifth vital sign and should be embedded in every assessment of patient health that we conduct. Every single patient will benefit from an individualised nutritional plan, because every living being must eat to survive. When we fail to support this vital function in our patients, we cannot provide quality care and run the risk of ongoing complications and delayed healing. Whether you work in GP, Specialty or Emergency, nutrition still plays a role in your patient assessments, treatments and management; this is the true meaning of ‘every patient, every time’.
Presentation
Including nutrition as part of your usual assessments – whether you work in GP, Specialty or Emergency – is easier than you might think. In this presentation, we will discuss how to embed nutrition into every touchpoint with your patients, how to enhance the patient journey towards healing in the long and short term and develop a blueprint to use across all areas of the hospital and what that looks like for different roles within the clinic. This isn’t just asking the pet owner ‘what do you feed’ – we will discuss the different ways in which nutritional assessments should be conducted and approaches to patients in various animal care settings.
Outcomes
At the conclusion of this presentation, you will feel confident in assessing the fifth vital sign in patients presenting in all types of veterinary practices and be able to implement changes in your practices protocols and procedures relating to nutrition.
Implication
Ensuring ‘every patient, every time’ nutritional assessments are conducted is vital in both improving pet owner compliance, patient quality of life, and ongoing continuity of care particularly in the face of nutrient-responsive disease. By conducting nutritional assessments as part of every touchpoint, we take a holistic approach to animal health and can detect and prevent issues before they occur.
Biography
Jessica graduated with her Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences from La Trobe University in 2016 and went on to complete her Certificate IV in Veterinary Nursing in 2018.
She became one of the first few Australian Registered Veterinary Nurses in 2019 and further obtained Accreditation in 2020. She has worked in the veterinary industry since 2010 in every role from Animal Attendant to Practice Manager. Jessica now works as Nutrition Advisor for Royal Canin Australia and New Zealand.
In 2023, Jessica obtained Veterinary Technician Specialist status in Nutrition, becoming the 28th veterinary nurse to obtain this title in the world and the 4th VTS (Nutrition) in Australia.
