1. Patient Teaching Improving Outcomes. Improving Lives. by: Christine, Derek, Ken, Roy, & Stacey 2. Dorothea Orem (1914-2007) Orem developed the Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing, which is composed of three interrelated theories: (1) the theory of self-care, (2) the self-care deficit theory, and (3) the theory of nursing systems. One of the bases of Patient Education is Orems Self- Care Theory. 3. Health Education Goals Objectives: Promote healthy choices and lifestyles Maintenance of health Restoration of health in the event of an illness or accident Adaptation to the residual effects of an illness or accident Provide patient teaching in a timely and relevant manner Reduce healthcare costs Encourage the patient to become at least partially responsible for their own care 4. Teaching begins Upon Arrival Patient teaching should begin upon arrival, continue throughout the patients stay, and be fully summarized at the time of discharge. Patient education and teaching is an essential, ongoing component of patient care. 5. Patient Teaching Plan To educate your patient, first develop a teaching plan based on your patients condition. In most hospital or clinic settings, this is a simple point-and-click application that can be tailored to individual patients. 6. Patient Education Patient education should be comprised of two parts the Teaching Plan and the Action Plan. The Teaching Plan gives the patient the background and information needed to comprehend the medications, treatments, restrictions, or the objectives that must be met in order to have a successful outcome. The Action Plan gives the patient the route he or she can take to get to that successful outcome. As with many interventions nurses perform, we need to assess our patient first. 7. Assess the Patients Readiness to Learn PHYSICAL READINESS To provide a more effective learning experience for the patient, try to alleviate physical distress such as pain or discomfort prior to the teaching. Also, ensure the physical environment is as free of distractions as possible to help promote learning. Involve family members, spouse, or friend if requested by the patient. 8. Assess the Patients Readiness to Learn In some patients with life threatening conditions, emotional readiness will only occur after the patient has progress through some of the stages of grief Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. When educating your patient, be careful not to overwhelm the patient with volumes of information, but be concise, accurate, and relevant. Be aware of your patients emotions. EMOTIONAL READINESS 9. Assess the Patients Readiness to Learn MOTIVATIONAL READINESS The motivation to learn depends on many factors, including the acknowledgement of the need to learn, and acceptance that the disease or illness is a threat to the patients health. Encourage the patient with constructive feedback and participating in setting new goals. To facilitate motivational readiness, promote an atmosphere that is non- judgmental, accepting, and open to cultural practices. 10. Assess the Patients Values CULTURAL VALUES To have a better outcome, educate yourself and be culturally sensitive to your patient. Some cultures practice alternative forms of medicine, and your patient may want to incorporate those practices into their plan of care. SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE VALUES When developing a teaching plan, address your patients current social and lifestyle. Educate about unhealthy practices, and reinforce or encourage healthy practices. 11. Promoting a Successful Outcome Many patients have trouble taking the actions they need to maintain their health and to help manage their health conditions. An action plan, created by the patient and the nurse, outlines steps the patient can take to attain a larger health goal such as quitting smoking or losing weight. Action plans help patients integrate these steps or health behavior changes into their daily lives to achieve their goal, and they allow for patients to be actively involved in their own care. 12. Patient Action Plan Sample Plan of Action: 13. Evaluate your Teaching A teaching plan can be well- written, however, it is ineffective if the patient and/or the patients family does not understand it. Even some of the smartest people have trouble understanding medical processes. Keep it simple. Put terms in everyday language for example, use pill instead of medication, cream instead of ointment, and use instead of utilize. Check for accuracy, i.e., such as resources have correct telephone numbers and addresses. 14. Evaluate your Teaching A key component to determine if patient teaching is effective is to have the patient explain the information you gave them back to you in their own words. Another component to determine the effectiveness of patient teaching is the number of readmissions due to patient misunderstanding of medications and treatment. 15. Benefits of Patient Education Reduced Medical Costs o Healthier lifestyles o Better compliance Increased Patient Satisfaction o Faster recovery time o Less visits to the provider Increased Patient Safety o Less injuries due to patient lack of knowledge Medication errors Compliance with treatment What to look for 16. References Adams, R. J. (2010, October 12). Risk Management and Healthcare Policy. Retrieved from Dove Press: http://www.dovepress.com/improving-health- outcomes-with-better-patient-understanding-and- educat-peer-reviewed-article-RMHP Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing. (2012). Medical Dictionary. Retrieved from The Free Dictionary by Farlex: http://medical- dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/patient+education