Since 2014, Debbie ten Cate has been affiliated to the Research Group Proactive Care for Older People Living at Home, first as a PhD candidate and from February 2023 as a postdoctoral researcher.
In February 2023, Debbie will defend her thesis ‘Promoting nurses’ behaviour change in nutritional care’ at Utrecht University. As a postdoctoral researcher, Debbie will focus on prevention and lifestyle support for older adults in the hospital and home setting. Debbie works as a lecturer at the bachelor program of Nursing. She also teaches at the master’s program of Clinical Health Sciences of Utrecht University.
"Nutritional care is an important part of nursing practice to promote the health of care recipients"
In the studies of Debbie her PhD project, several factors which influence behaviour of hospital and home care nurses in nutritional care were identified resulting in suboptimal nutritional care. To motivate nurses, an educational intervention was developed. It concerns a brief and concise educational intervention consisting of 30 statements about nursing nutritional care for older adults, which are presented through an online platform.
Expertises
- Practice-based research
- Nursing nutritional care for older adults in the hospital and home care setting
- Prevention and lifestyle support in older adults in hospital and at home
Publications
- Promoting nurses' behaviour change in nutritional care
- Development of a microlearning intervention regarding nursing nutritional care for older adults: A multi-methods study
- Factors Influencing Nurses’ Behavior in Nutritional Care for Community-Dwelling Older Adults Before, During, and After Hospitalization: A Delphi Study
In the media
Attention for malnutrition in older adults
Debbie ten Cate has recorded a video of her layman's speech about her thesis entitled 'Promoting nurses' behaviour change in nutritional care'.
Watch Debbie her layman's speech hereDownloads and links
- The attitude of lecturers who are teaching at the Bachelor’s program in Nursing towards (mal)nutrition education: A qualitative study (PDF)
- Older people's and their informal caregivers' experiences and needs regarding nutritional care provided before, during and after hospitalisation (PDF)
- Increasing nurses’ and nursing assistants’ awareness of the importance of nutritional care for older adults (PFD)