Patient Education~DON'T LEAVE YOUR PATIENT BUMFUZZELED!

KNOW HOW TO EDUCATE YOUR PATIENT

A nurses role is to educate. Your patient must know understand how to self-administer  medications, how to perform treatments at home and what their illness consists of for self-care. Not only does a nurse educate the patient, but  must educate the family, significant others, spouses, friends or whom else might aid in caring for the patient.

As has been mentioned, consider the caregiver of the patient.  Assess the caregiver of the patient. You will want to know if they are suffering from caregiver role strain if they have the proper resources, how they are coping with any family role changes, any family conflict, and any financial problems. While educating, it is best to use the nursing process.

Diagnose

1. Does the patient have a knowledge deficit? 
2. Do they have a readiness to learn? 
3. Are they at risk for injury at home? 

Plan

1. Set your goals. Ensure your goals are measurable and have a reasonable time-frame.
2. What kinds of educational materials will you use? Will you use pamphlets, magazines, audio, or  videos. Don't forget to include items the patient may already be familiar with such as setting an alarm clock to take medication or demonstrating how to use dress themselves without causing strain on a surgical site. 

Implement

1. Actively listen to your patient. They will give cues or verbalize understanding or confusion. 
2. Sit at eye level when speaking with the patient. 
3. Use positive reinforcements as a reward such as, "you are doing great!" 
4. Involve the caregivers, family and friends of the patient. 
5. Use verbal and nonverbal communication skills. 

Evaluate

1. Does the patient understand what you have taught them? Use the "teach back" or "show back" method. 
2. Was the goal met? If the goal was not met then reassess the patient. Usually, this happens when a nurse makes an assumption that the patient already has knowledge on their disease process.

Educating a patient is essential, therefore documentation is necessary. Document while educating the patient. If you do not document your actions and the patients progress it is as if the education never took place.


Wilkins, L. W. (2014). Taylor fundamentals of nursing, north american edition, 7th ed. taylor prepu for taylor's .. Place of publication not identified: Wolters Kluwer Health.