Teaching + Learning

Why is patient education important?

Role of the LPN in Patient Education:

  • May carry out teaching plans that have been created by RN

  • Reinforce teaching under direction of RN, podiatrist, or dentist

Role of the ADN in Patient Education:

  • Nurse Practice Act-scope of nursing practice

  • Ethical responsibility

  • Legal responsibility

  • Patient’s right to know

Patient Teaching + the Professional Nurse:

  • Patient teaching is a nursing intervention

  • If it wasn’t documented then it wasn’t done

  • Evaluation of learning

Goals of Patient Education:

  • Health promotion

  • Illness prevention

  • Restoration of health

  • Coping with impaired function and lifestyle changes

Health Promotion Teaching:

  • Starting an exercise class/program

  • Nutrition classes

  • Stress management

Illness Prevention:

  • Staying up to date on vaccinations

  • Social distancing

  • Handwashing

  • Importance of healthy diet, exercise, and sleep

Restoration of Health:

  • How to manage diabetes

  • Stretches to perform after knee or hip surgery

  • Activities that can be performed following an MI

  • Discharge teaching

Discharge Teaching:

  • Usually done just prior to discharge

    • Should include: 

      • Activity and dietary restrictions (if any)

      • Medication list — handouts for new medications, last time medication was given

      • Prescribed treatments, catheter care, dressing changes

      • Follow up — visits, appointments, PT/OT, when to call the hospital

      • Provide written instructions, have patient sign

      • Make sure the patient understands

      • Must be documented

Coping with Impaired Functions: 

  • Learning to cope with permanent health alterations

  • Knowledge and skills to perform daily activities

  • Family support is important

  • Compare realistic desired level of health to the actual state of health to identify deficits and needs to help guide nursing education

Teaching Considerations: 

  • Teach information that the patient and family need to make informed decisions regarding their care

  • Determine what the patient needs to know

  • Identify when patients are ready to learn

Domains of Learning

  • Cognitive

  • Affective

  • Psychomotor