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The value of patient education cannot be overemphasized. A nurse's ability to teach effectively can optimize patients' knowledge, skills, capabilities for self-care, and ability to make informed choices (Falvo, 2011; London, 2016). Teaching is not a task; it is a practice that requires nurses to engage patients actively to meet individual learning needs. Although challenging in fast-paced healthcare environments, implementing effective and efficient teaching practices is achievable. Practical, evidence-based methods and commonsense teaching tactics for medical-surgical nurses are described.
Background
Patient teaching is a complex process intended to facilitate learning and improve health outcomes (Falvo, 2011; London, 2016). The process includes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Effective teaching helps patients apply health-related knowledge to their lives. The nurse's role as patient educator is delineated in professional standards (Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses, 2012; American Nurses Association, 2015). Similar to other clinical practices, patient teaching should be guided by best available evidence.
Effective patient education is not simple, but it is important and has many benefits. A patient-centered, individualized educational approach empowers patients and can impact clinical outcomes (Stewart, 2012). Patient education may lead to enhanced knowledge, quality of life, and self-care; reduced hospital readmissions; and improved medication adherence (Casmir, Williams, Liang, Pitakmongkolkul, & Slyer, 2014; Sandlin, Bennett, Ockerby, & Corradini, 2013; van Driel et al., 2016). Ineffective patient education can cause misunderstandings and place patients at risk for adverse events.
Nurses do not feel prepared to be consistently effective educators and need support to teach patients confidently (Sherman, 2016). Additional challenges related to nurses' patient educator role include lack of a structured approach, inadequate educational preparation in teaching methods, insufficient time, absence of managerial support, lack of teaching materials, interruptions, inadequate privacy, poor interprofessional collaboration, and heavy workloads (Bergh, Karlsson, Persson, & Febe, 2012; Ghorbani, Soleimani, Zeinali, & Davaji, 2014). Teaching patients effectively requires knowledge and skill. Nurses can improve their teaching abilities with practice, education, and mentoring (London, 2016; Sherman, 2016; Svavarsdóttir, Siguroardóttir, & Steinbekk, 2015).
The Practice and Process of Patient Education
The patient education process includes several nonlinear steps (London, 2016). Each step serves a purpose. Nurses can teach efficiently and improve learning outcomes by using these steps.
Learning Needs Assessment
A learning needs assessment (LNA) involves gathering subjective and objective information to...