Reference no: EM131304905

In today's society everyone is in a hurry and doctors are no different. I can't tell you how many times I get asked what did the doctor say; I couldn't understand him/her. As nurses it's our responsibility to be advocates for our patients and talk to them in a language they can understand.

According to (Heady) the goal of health education is to help individuals, families, and communities achieve, through their own actions and initiative, optimal states of health. Health education facilitates voluntary actions to promote health. Another important goal of health education is improving health literacy. Health literacy is defined as "the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions."

It's very important to talk to the patient clearly using plain everyday language to the patient to understand. They need to face the person, sit down at the bedside and avoid medical terms that the patient doesn't understand. Be specific and ask the patient if they have any questions. If healthcare providers take the time then patients would have better outcomes.

References

Heady, S. (n.d.). Health Education. In Health Promotion throughout the Life Span (p. 217).