Reference no: EM132470826

The nurses role and responsibility as health educator is very important. Education should start on admission, every time the nurse enters the room, teaching should take place. Explaining medications being given, step by step instruction on procedures being done, dressing changes, oxygen possibly needed at home. Family members and friends that will be involved with the care of the patient should be involved with education needed. Nursing is not just passing medication and charting, patients have to be able to take care of themselves at discharge. The environment can set the mood for learning, a patient cannot understand information if the lights are off, TV is on, if pain and/anxiety is a factor, or a room full of visitors.

Strategies can be applied but it is important to find out if the patient can read and write, they may be educated but not medically educated, hearing may be an issue, they may want a friend or family member present for education. Some strategies can be showing a patient the skills and asking them to repeat the skill back, getting the patient to explain to family what they have learned that day, using a clock image to explain medication times, making an agenda for the day that is easy for the patient to follow and giving positive feedback.

Behavioral objections should be added when the patient has a habit or addiction that require steps to change the behavior, steps that can be achieved by the patient and positive feedback can used. Or a patient is not ready to learn what skills are necessary for discharge, making small reachable goals can be less stressful for patients.