Working in Harmony: Critical Conversations on Nutrition, Pressure Injuries and Interdisciplinary Care

Course Description:

Pressure injuries and malnutrition are closely interconnected clinical challenges that can significantly affect patient outcomes across the continuum of care. Malnutrition is common among hospitalized individuals and contributes to impaired tissue integrity, delayed wound healing, increased infection risk, functional decline, and prolonged recovery. Early identification and management of nutritional risk are essential components of pressure injury prevention and treatment strategies. 

Effective care begins with routine nutrition screening, comprehensive assessment, and timely intervention. Validated malnutrition screening tools, interdisciplinary communication, and ongoing reassessment help clinicians recognize patients who may benefit from nutritional support before complications develop. Nutrition assessments extend beyond weight changes alone and may include evaluation of dietary intake, functional status, physical findings, clinical condition, and factors that influence the ability to meet nutrient needs.

Evidence-based nutrition interventions play an important role in supporting skin integrity and wound healing. Adequate energy, protein, hydration, and individualized nutrition strategies can help address the increased metabolic demands associated with pressure injuries and other chronic conditions. Clinical decision-making should consider nutritional status, wound severity, comorbidities, patient preferences, cultural considerations, and barriers that may influence intake and adherence to care plans. 

Successful implementation of nutrition-focused pressure injury prevention and management requires collaboration among nurses, dietitians, physical therapists, wound care specialists, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team. Through coordinated assessment, communication, intervention, patient education, and care transitions, interdisciplinary teams can help optimize nutrition status, support wound healing, improve functional outcomes, and enhance overall quality of care for individuals at risk for or living with pressure injuries. This program was originally presented as a live webinar on 21 January 2026.

Course Objectives:

• Examine the role of nutritional status in influencing skin integrity and the wound healing process.
• Translate evidence-based guidelines into practical nutrition strategies that support patients with or at risk for pressure injuries and malnutrition.
• Evaluate how interdisciplinary collaboration enhances outcomes for patients across the continuum of care.

Key Takeaways:

• Malnutrition is a common and often underrecognized contributor to pressure injury risk, delayed wound healing, reduced tissue integrity, functional decline, and poorer clinical outcomes. Early identification and intervention can help address a modifiable risk factor before complications progress. 
• Nutrition should be considered a core component of pressure injury prevention and management rather than a standalone dietitian responsibility. Nurses, physical therapists, wound specialists, physicians, and dietitians all play a role in recognizing nutrition-related concerns and supporting timely intervention. 
• Adequate energy, protein, and hydration are fundamental to supporting skin health and wound healing, but successful nutrition care must also account for individual factors such as comorbidities, functional status, cultural preferences, barriers to intake, and patient goals of care. 
• Consistent interdisciplinary communication, early nutrition screening, and ongoing reassessment can improve coordination of care and help reduce preventable complications associated with malnutrition and pressure injuries across healthcare settings.

Related Questions:

• Why is malnutrition considered a major risk factor for pressure injuries and delayed wound healing?
  Malnutrition can impair multiple aspects of tissue repair, including inflammatory response, collagen synthesis, immune function, and maintenance of skin integrity. Patients with inadequate nutritional status may also experience muscle loss, functional decline, and reduced mobility, all of which can increase the risk of pressure injuries and contribute to slower wound healing. Recognizing malnutrition as a modifiable risk factor is an important component of prevention and treatment efforts.
  
• How can healthcare teams identify patients who are at risk for malnutrition?
  Early identification typically begins with routine nutrition screening using validated tools during admission and throughout care transitions. Questions about recent weight loss, appetite changes, dietary intake, and functional status can help identify patients who may benefit from further assessment. Comprehensive nutrition evaluations often include clinical history, physical findings, anthropometric data, and assessment of factors that may limit nutrient intake or utilization.
• What role does the interdisciplinary team play in pressure injury prevention and management?
  Successful pressure injury prevention requires collaboration among nurses, dietitians, physical therapists, wound specialists, physicians, and other members of the healthcare team. Each discipline contributes unique expertise related to nutrition, mobility, skin assessment, patient education, care planning, and ongoing monitoring. Coordinated communication and timely interventions can help address risks earlier and improve patient outcomes across the continuum of care.
• What nutrition interventions support pressure injury prevention and wound healing?
  Nutrition strategies generally focus on achieving adequate energy, protein, and fluid intake while addressing individual barriers to meeting nutrient needs. Patients may benefit from nutrient-dense foods, oral nutritional supplements, fortified foods, meal-time support strategies, and individualized care plans that account for medical conditions, cultural preferences, and functional limitations. Nutrition interventions should be tailored to the patient's clinical status and overall goals of care.
• Why do nutrition-related best practices for pressure injury prevention remain difficult to implement?
  Barriers may include delayed identification of nutritional risk, competing clinical priorities, poor oral intake, frequent interruptions to meals, limited interdisciplinary communication, and challenges during care transitions. Additional factors such as cultural food preferences, chronic illness, functional limitations, and resource constraints can further complicate implementation. Addressing these barriers often requires both systematic protocols and active collaboration among healthcare professionals.