Participation of medical technologists in the nutrition support team (NST)
Harashima, N.; Muroya, T.; Shoji, K.; Sekine, K.; Ikeda, H.
Rinsho Byori. Japanese Journal of Clinical Pathology 53(11): 1043-1050
2005
ISSN/ISBN: 0047-1860 PMID: 16372756 Document Number: 585118
In the nutrition support team (NST), medical technologists take a very important role in carrying out nutrition screening, nutrition assessment and nutrition monitoring. Medical technologists can look at the laboratory data of patients earlier than other NST staff. Using this advantage, the medical technologists can contribute to the NST. In addition, medical technologists join ward rounds together with other NST staff on a weekly basis. After discussion with all NST staff, medical technologists make a report on the nutrition assessment of patients and then sign their names to the report. The NST is a representative of medical treatment teams. All NST members should have equal levels of understanding of nutrition therapy. Therefore, medical technologists should not only look at the laboratory data of the patients, but also manage the patients through nutrition assessment and nutrition monitoring.