Impediments to the practice of patient teaching

Nurses value the practice of patient teaching and it is a stated goal of nursing. However, the actual practice of patient teaching often falls below standard. This paper describes survey data collected from staff nurses, and nursing administrators on their beliefs about patient teaching and their perceptions of the impediments to practice in the hospital setting. The findings help to clarify the conflict between the values and the practice of patient teaching. Implications for nursing practice, and the discipline of nursing are identified.