Nurse’s Role and Responsibility as Health Educator
Nurse’s Role and Responsibility as Health Educator
Re: Topic 1 DQ 1
As a health educator, a nurse engages patients during assessment in enlightening them of their rights to autonomy, quality care, and access to quality information. The nurse engages staff members from other disciplines in the development of a patient-centered education plan. A nurse is also responsible for examining a client’s learning abilities, cultural needs, education level, and influence of family members in the decision-making process. A consideration of these issues guides nurses in identifying reliable strategies for educating and empowering patients. Other important social determinants of health to consider include an individual’s economic status, ethnic and religious background, as well as their environment (Peereboom & Coyle, 2018).
As a health educator, a nurse engages patients during assessment in enlightening them of their rights to autonomy, quality care, and access to quality information. The nurse engages staff members from other disciplines in the development of a patient-centered education plan. A nurse is also responsible for examining a client’s learning abilities, cultural needs, education level, and influence of family members in the decision-making process. A consideration of these issues guides nurses in identifying reliable strategies for educating and empowering patients. Other important social determinants of health to consider include an individual’s economic status, ethnic and religious background, as well as their environment (Peereboom & Coyle, 2018).
When developing tailored individual care plans, important strategies to consider include the appropriate communication method to ensure the development of a therapeutic nurse-patient relationship. A nurse educator has to set the right attitude, be a good listener, and create moments of silence where each individual reflects on significant health concerns. Additional strategies include identifying a good environment with ample space and adequate safety considerations for health education. Options can include utilizing media platforms to allow patients to attend training sessions from the comfort of their homes. The professional should consider incorporating a professional nurse-patient relationship to ensure respect for established legal and ethical requirements throughout the education process (Peereboom & Coyle, 2018).Behavioral objectives should be utilized when assessing and working to improve a client’s learning skills including reading and understanding simple statements about a health condition. The objectives can also be used in healthcare plans that focus on individual skills and capabilities in cognitive and psychomotor domains. A nurse attending to a patient who has suffered from drug and substance abuse and is struggling with addiction may set behavioral objectives for inclusion in their health care plan. A realization of these objectives indicates the achievement of desired health outcomes including successful rehabilitation and improved behavioral capabilities (Peereboom & Coyle, 2018). Nurse’s Role and Responsibility as Health Educator
Reference
Peereboom, K., & Coyle, N. (2018). Facilitating Goals-of-Care Discussions for Patients with Life-Limiting Disease—Communication Strategies for Nurses. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 14(4), 251-258. https://doi.org/10.1097/njh.0b013e3182533a7f
Describe the nurse’s role and responsibility as 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? Nurse’s Role and Responsibility as Health Educator
