The perceptions of Canadian young adults with asthma of their health teaching/learning needs

Nurses maintain that they can assist individuals with chronic illness to cope with their health problems experienced in daily living through health (patient) teaching. However, several authors claim that in planning health teaching, nurses tend to rely on their perceptions of the learning needs of persons, as opposed to drawing upon the individual's understanding of their needs. Few research studies have investigated the health teaching needs of persons with chronic illness from their unique point of view. This study examined the perceived learning needs to manage the associated health problems of young adults with asthma. The University of British Columbia Model for Nursing provided an innovative and holistic means to attain perceptions in the health teaching assessment process and facilitated the development of a learning needs assessment tool. Survey methodology was used. A convenience sample of 40 young adults between the ages of 20 and 45 years was interviewed. Twenty of the sample resided in British Columbia, Canada, and 20 in Ontario, Canada. Implications of findings are discussed with regard to nursing practice.