Perceived knowledge and self-confidence of pediatric nurses as patient educators

Patient education is an integral component of nursing care. Patient education has been associated with favorable patient outcomes but may be difficult if resources are unavailable, "teachable moments" are unrecognized, or if self-confidence of the nurses providing the education is low. Using the theoretical model developed by the authors and focusing on the delivery of patient/family education, we examined pediatric nurses' perceptions about patient/family education in the hospital setting. A 20-item questionnaire that explored factors affecting teaching behaviors of 54 pediatric nurses in an acute care hospital setting was completed. Results from this study suggest that pediatric nurses' confidence was disorder-specific. Nurses were confident providing education about common disorders (asthma, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis) and less confident providing education about less common disorders (oncology, cardiac). The barrier to providing education identified most often was lack of written materials. Findings from this study can be used to develop teaching resources for nurses and to plan educational programs specific to less common pediatric problems.