A challenge for the 1990s: patient education

The goal of health education is assisting patients to adapt to their illness, assuming responsibility for their therapeutic regimen, and working towards attaining their maximum level of wellness. There are three domains of learning behavior: cognitive (knowledge and information), affective (attitudes, values, and beliefs), and psychomotor (skills and performance). The use of these results in behavioral change. Effective nurse educators take advantage of every interaction to teach their patients. It is the nurse's responsibility to present information to the patient in such a way that it motivates, stimulates, and allows the patient to appreciate learning.