In today’s health care environment, nurses must provide patient education as part of routine care to improve the likelihood of positive outcomes.
“There is a new emphasis on better discharge planning, patient self-management of chronic disease, and patient engagement, said Beth Stuckey, RN, MS, CNE, assistant professor, nursing at American Sentinel University. “Patient education is critical to all of these initiatives and nurses need to know what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to shaping patient behavior.”
Stuckey says patient education, like most nursing competencies, is a skill that develops over time, and it takes practice and commitment. “Patient engagement should not be considered a one-time event, but rather part of an ongoing conversation with your patients to be most effective.”
Stuckey offered the following tips to nurses to help them master the role of patient educator.
1. Take an individualized approach.
The most common mistake a nurse makes in patient education is teaching based on the patient’s medical condition rather than on the patient’s individualized needs and learning ability.
“An individualized approach is by far the most effective method and begins with an assessment of the patient’s needs and capacity to learn,” she says. Stuckey notes that when patients are in pain, medicated or experiencing emotional distress, their ability to concentrate and take in new information can be hindered. “So it’s important to assess the patient’s physical, psychological, and cognitive readiness to engage in learning,” she adds.
“There is a new emphasis on better discharge planning, patient self-management of chronic disease, and patient engagement, said Beth Stuckey, RN, MS, CNE, assistant professor, nursing at American Sentinel University. “Patient education is critical to all of these initiatives and nurses need to know what works and what doesn’t, when it comes to shaping patient behavior.”
Stuckey says patient education, like most nursing competencies, is a skill that develops over time, and it takes practice and commitment. “Patient engagement should not be considered a one-time event, but rather part of an ongoing conversation with your patients to be most effective.”
Stuckey offered the following tips to nurses to help them master the role of patient educator.
1. Take an individualized approach.
The most common mistake a nurse makes in patient education is teaching based on the patient’s medical condition rather than on the patient’s individualized needs and learning ability.
“An individualized approach is by far the most effective method and begins with an assessment of the patient’s needs and capacity to learn,” she says. Stuckey notes that when patients are in pain, medicated or experiencing emotional distress, their ability to concentrate and take in new information can be hindered. “So it’s important to assess the patient’s physical, psychological, and cognitive readiness to engage in learning,” she adds.
2. Keep the education patient-centered.
Stuckey says it is critical nurses provide information in the patient’s language or preference.
“It’s important that nurses never assume that just because a patient speaks English that they can read or write in English. And never assume that the patient’s family members can interpret what you are teaching.” Best practice supports the use of a professional interpreter to assure patient understanding and, therefore, increase the odds of success.
3. Support your patient’s ownership of health.
In the new health care landscape, nurses no longer simply tell their patients what directions to follow. Now they make the patient an integral part of the team. “It’s our responsibility as nurses to advocate for our patient’s rights and help them to voice their thoughts, opinions, and ideas, rather than just give a list of directions to them.”
Original Article Published Here: 5 Tips To Help Nurses Improve Patient Education Skills
