NRS429 Health Promotion in Nursing Care

Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 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?

 

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The nurse’s role and responsibility as health educator

Introduction

Nurses are responsible for the education of their patients. Nurses are therefore the health educators, who teach patients about caring for their health conditions. Nurses should be trained to teach people how they can improve their health and prevent chronic diseases by improving nutrition, physical activity and other lifestyle habits.

Developing a health education plan

A health education plan is a series of activities, tools and resources that you use to teach your patients about their health. The plan should include the following:

• Information about the patient’s condition or problem

• How to identify risk factors for conditions that may affect them in the future (e.g., high blood pressure) or problems they may encounter while they are at home (e.g., falls).

• Suggestions for lifestyle changes that could help them improve their overall well-being, including physical activity and diet modifications if appropriate; examples include eating more fruits and vegetables or decreasing salt intake.

• The use of evidence-based guidelines when possible; e.g., what kind of treatment is best for someone with diabetes mellitus who has had an amputation below the knee? Is it necessary for such people not only receive antibiotics but also undergo surgery? These are questions you’ll need answers too!

Teaching, monitoring and evaluating the progress of patient learning

Teaching a patient is a two-way process. The nurse’s role is to teach and the patient’s role is to learn from what you teach them. Teaching involves both verbal and nonverbal communication, which means the nurse must be able to express himself clearly and concisely in order for him/her to effectively communicate with his/her patients.

It is important for nurses who want their job done well not only know what they are talking about but also how best they can convey those ideas in order for others including family members, health professionals (physicians), community leaders etc., understand them better than themselves first hand experience before reaching out through any kind of media such as blogs articles social media channels etc..

Assessing the effectiveness of health education methods employed

There are many different ways to assess the effectiveness of health education methods employed. Some examples include:

• To see if students have absorbed what they have learned and understand it in practice.

• To see if students’ attitudes toward a particular subject matter have changed over time, especially when this change occurs rapidly or when there is some other indication that their attitudes may be changing quickly.

• To determine whether specific content has been covered well enough for it to be effective, based on student responses (e.g., number of questions answered correctly).

Documentation of health education given to patients, parents and community

Documentation is one of the most important parts of the nurse’s role as health educator. The documentation is important for many reasons:

• For nurses, it allows them to provide quality care and ensure patient safety;

• For legal reasons, such as if there are any questions about whether or not a particular behavior was done by you or another member of your team;

• For research purposes (e.g., to determine which methods work best);

• To make sure that patients understand what they are told so that they can implement changes in their lives accordingly; And finally, because it ensures that no one gets lost in translation when communicating with each other about health issues!

Educating patients, families, groups and communities regarding health promotion, disease prevention and health maintenance.

As a nurse, you are responsible for educating patients, families and communities regarding health promotion, disease prevention and health maintenance. You will be teaching people about their own bodies and how to care for them at home or in the community.

You may also be asked to educate groups such as schools on topics such as nutrition or fitness activities.

Promoting patient self-care activities by designing

Self-care activities are important for patients to take responsibility for their own health. The nurse can promote self-care by using the following methods:

• Talking with patients about the importance of self-care activities such as eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep and avoiding drugs or alcohol.

• Assisting patients in developing a plan to meet their goals by teaching them how to set goals and reaching those goals.

• Providing an environment where patients feel safe so they can be open about expressing any concerns they have about their health care needs or treatment plan options that may help improve symptoms from chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2)

Nurses are responsible for teaching patients how to improve their health.

Nurses are responsible for teaching patients how to improve their health. Nurses need to be knowledgeable about the latest health information, including what is being learned in research studies and other areas of study. They also need to be able to teach patients how they can improve their own health.

Nurses play an important role in educating patients about disease prevention, including lifestyle choices such as healthy eating habits and regular exercise routines; following medical advice on maintaining a healthy weight; avoiding tobacco products (including marijuana); quitting smoking; following preventive dental care procedures such as brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste or flossing daily with interdental cleaners like Colgate Dental Care’s Healthy Smiles Toothbrush Kit (sold separately)

Conclusion

The nurse’s role and responsibility as health educator is crucial to the nursing profession. Nurses have a duty to advocate for healthy lifestyles in their patients and communities. Nurses must be prepared to provide accurate information on the causes, signs and symptoms of disease so that patients can make wise decisions about their own health care needs.