Standards

Standards are benchmarks representing a range of performance of competent care that should be provided to assure safe and efficacious nutrition care. Standards are documents that define the structure needed to provide competent care. They usually address professional responsibilities as they relate to patient assessment, education, care plan development, implementation, clinical monitoring, evaluation, and professional issues. ASPEN publishes discipline-based (e.g., dietitian, nurse, pharmacist, or physician) and practice-based (e.g., adult hospitalized patients, pediatric hospitalized patients, home care, long-term care) standards. Standards are presented in the most generic terms possible. The details of specific tests, therapies, and protocols are left to the discretion of individual healthcare facilities. Each healthcare facility shall strive to provide the best nutrition support care that is possible given the resources of the organization. The standards aim to assure sound and efficient nutrition care for those in need of nutrition support therapy.