NRS 429VN: Topic 1 DQ 1 – The Nurse’s Role in Health Education

NRS 429VN: Topic 1 DQ 1 – The Nurse’s Role in Health Education

Describe the nurse’s role and responsibility as a health educator. What strategies, besides the use of learning styles, can a nurse educator consider when developing tailored individual care plans, or for educational programs in health promotion? When should behavioral objectives be utilized in a care plan or health promotion?

Response:

As per Global Health Education (2020), nurse educators inspire, teach, and mentor the next generation of nurses, leading the way to the future of patient care. Without them, graduating nurses would be ill-equipped to face the ever-changing demands of today’s dynamic healthcare system. Nurse educators lead by example as they support and guide nurses during transitional periods. They serve with ethical conviction and professionalism, encouraging their team to do the same. Through their actions, nurse educators are responsible for creating a team that communicates well and works together, improving patient care along the way. With the help of nurse educators, new nurses can educate, teach, and provide quality care to their patients safely.

NRS 429VN: Topic 1 DQ 1 – The Nurse’s Role in Health Education

One approach a nurse educator can consider when developing individualized care plans is to involve the patient and their family in the process. By assessing the patient’s and family’s preferences and involving them in care planning, the nurse educator can tailor the care plan to meet the patient’s specific needs. This approach is essential for effective patient education. Nurses must get to know their patients and customize patient education based on individual needs. It’s important to determine what motivates each patient and what matters most to them. Allowing patients to choose topics of interest and addressing those areas first can be highly effective. Furthermore, the education provided should use plain language, readable materials, and various teaching techniques tailored to the patient’s learning style.

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Nurses who support the interests, decisions, and safety of patients and their family members are advocates. Advocacy is crucial because it may reduce the chances of errors and harmful treatments. Behavioral objectives should be utilized in a patient’s care plan when the patient is willing to learn and change. Before a nurse can use behavioral objectives, they need to assess the patient’s readiness to change and create objectives tailored to the patient’s stage of readiness (Whitney, 2018). There are six stages of change, and nurses play a pivotal role in patient education and improving patient health and wellness.

References:

Smith, J. A., & Zsohar, H. (2013). Patient-education tips for new nurses. Nursing, 43(10), 1-3. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nurse.0000434224.51627.8a

Keypath Education. (2020, August 21). The role of nurse educators. Global Health Education. Retrieved October 3, 2021, from https://globalhealtheducation.com/article/role-of-nurse-educators.

Whitney, S. (2018). Teaching and Learning Styles. In Health Promotion: Health & Wellness Across the Continuum. Grand Canyon University NRS 429VN: Topic 1 DQ 1 – The Nurse’s Role in Health Education.

Re: Topic 1 DQ 1

The role of a nurse as an educator begins right from the moment they first meet a patient. The nurse’s primary responsibility is to promote health and provide patients with evidence-based educational materials, for which they bear ethical and professional responsibility (Whitney, 2018). Educating patients is fundamentally one of the most crucial aspects of a nurse’s job.

A strategy that a nurse can employ to develop a tailored individual care plan is to conduct a thorough assessment of the patient before planning and implementing care. Effective communication is the key to success in this regard. By actively engaging with patients in their own care and establishing a strong patient-clinician partnership, nurses can significantly influence the patient’s journey from illness to wellness (Marshall et al., 2020). The information gathered through assessment guides the nurse in selecting the most appropriate teaching style and approach that will be most effective. Assessing the patient’s educational needs and motivation also helps in developing a tailored care plan. According to Marshall et al. (2020), nurses can implement various bedside strategies for patients who may not fully engage, including providing daily goals, structuring tasks, offering procedural advice, attributing mistakes to effort, demonstrating coping models, modeling a positive mood, and providing continuous monitoring and feedback.

Behavioral objectives should be used when developing strategies to change behaviors as part of health promotion (Whitney, 2018). For instance, advocating for health promotion in smoking cessation would require setting specific behavioral objectives. Behavioral objectives represent the changes in behavior that a patient should make to promote health and well-being. However, these objectives should be utilized only when the patient is willing and motivated to make the necessary changes. Without a willing participant, the objectives may not be effectively met.

References:

Marshall, L. C., Dall’Oglio, I., Davis, D., Verret, G., & Jones, T. (2020, November 16). Nurses as educators within health systems. Retrieved February 02, 2021, from https://nursingcentered.sigmanursing.org/features/more-features/Vol41_4_nurses-as-educators-within-health-systems

Whitney, S. (2018). Teaching and Learning Styles. Retrieved October 5, 2021 from https://lc.gcumedia.com/nrs429vn/health-promotion-health-and-wellness-across-the-continuum/v1.1/#/chapter/1 NRS 429VN: Topic 1 DQ 1 – The Nurse’s Role in Health Education