If we operate under the assumption our patient / client will also need to learn, then we benefit from knowledge regarding patient education. This isn’t just about us practicing lifelong learning. It is also about our patient / client practicing lifelong learning.
This is not knowledge about the medical issue that brought an individual to us in our capacity as a Patient Advocate. Rather, this is knowledge about how any patient / client learns, irrespective of the teacher. And, learn they must as they travel through the healthcare system
Read these articles on effective patient education. While some are targeted at specific healthcare positions (e.g., nursing), all offer insight into how best to educate.
• “Choosing effective patient education materials” – visit https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000455.htm
• “Five Tips for Providing Effective Patient Education” – visit https://www.practicalnursing.org/five-tips-providing-effective-patient-education
• “Educating Your Patients: 10 Top Teaching Tips” – visit http://communicatingwithpatients.com/articles/10_top_teaching_tips.html
• “Tips for Educating Patients” – visit http://www.aarc.org/nn18-tips-for-educating-patients/
• “10 Patient Teaching Strategies for Nurses” – visit http://lippincottsolutions.lww.com/blog.entry.html/2015/03/05/10_patient_teaching-Hs1L.html
• “Patient-education tips for new nurses” – visit https://journals.lww.com/nursing/Pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2013&issue=10000&article=00024&type=Fulltext
In the article entitled, “Patient-education tips for new nurses” – visit https://journals.lww.com/nursing/Pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2013&issue=10000&article=00024&type=Fulltext – contained a patient checklist designed to assess patient / client learning, as follows…
“Asking key assessment questions
Nurse colleagues mentioned some key assessment questions, including these:
• What’s the patient’s educational level?
• How well does the patient read?
• Does the patient have the ability to read and comprehend instructions for medications, diet, procedures, and other regimens?
• What’s the patient’s learning style? For example, does the patient prefer reading printed materials, viewing audiovisual materials, or watching demonstrations?
• What are the patient’s English language skills? Is the patient’s first language something other than English?
• Would the patient like to know everything possible about the health concern or just the basics?
• Does the patient see and hear well?
• Does the patient wear glasses to read or use a hearing aid?
• Would the patient like a significant other to be involved in the patient-education process?”
This discussion board assignment requires you to respond to the following questions regarding patient / client education.
- Where are how can you incorporate this checklist into your practice? Be specific.
- What was the most helpful thing learned from the readings in the previous assignment and how can you incorporate this learning into your practice? Be specific.
- What is your greatest challenge to effective patient / client education and how will you overcome it? Be specific.
- What did you learn about your learning style from the readings in the previous assignment and how can you incorporate this learning into your practice? Be specific.