The Nutrition Day at Akureyri Hospital (SAk) took place on a Wednesday at the beginning of the month and was dedicated to the nutrition of surgical and intensive care patients. The day was organized by the hospital’s nutrition team in collaboration with the SAk Department of Education and Science.

The program was held in the Kjarni meeting room on the 3rd floor and was also accessible via Teams, running from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Guðjón Kristjánsson, Chief of Internal Medicine at SAk, opened the event and chaired the meeting.

A Diverse Program with Engaging Lectures

The day began with a lecture by Kristín Jónsdóttir, surgeon at SAk, who discussed when to initiate nutrition for surgical patients. Following that, Bjarki Þór Jónasson, clinical dietitian at the National University Hospital of Iceland, presented on the energy needs and nutritional status of intensive care patients.

After a short coffee break, the program continued with a joint presentation by Íris Gunnarsdóttir, pharmacist, and Sara Mist Gautadóttir, dietitian at SAk, focusing on indications and contraindications for enteral and parenteral nutrition. Elínborg Hilmarsdóttir, dietitian at the National University Hospital, then gave a lecture on the importance of nutrition in the recovery process of surgical patients. Finally, Sigurbjörg Lind Ellertsdóttir, nurse at the SAk Surgical Department, discussed the role of nurses and the main challenges they face regarding patient nutrition.

A Welcome Opportunity to Strengthen Networks and Share Knowledge Across Professions

The nutrition team used the day to hold meetings with guest speakers from the National University Hospital. Strengthening connections with other dietitians is important for SAk, and this visit was a welcome opportunity for increased collaboration and knowledge sharing. The nutrition team also received an educational session from an Icepharma dietitian. The company imports nutritional drinks and tube feeding formulas from Nutricia, which are used at SAk. During the coffee break, participants had the chance to taste a variety of nutritional drinks and also enjoyed refreshments from the hospital kitchen.

At the end of the comprehensive program, four lucky participants in attendance were drawn to win attractive prizes sponsored by Innnes and Ekran.