Patient education: a literature review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Patient Teaching
• Healthcare Professional Development

Background:

• Patient education is recognized as a fundamental aspect of nursing care.
• Despite its importance, patient teaching by nurses is frequently unplanned, haphazard, and of uncertain effectiveness.
• Inadequate nurse training is a significant barrier to effective patient education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the role of nurses as patient teachers.
• To determine the necessity and integration of patient education within the nursing scope of practice.
• To identify the skills required for nurses to effectively educate patients.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted to explore the existing evidence on nurses' roles in patient education.
• Analysis of factors contributing to the underperformance of patient education by nurses.
• A study is currently in progress to evaluate student nurse preparedness for patient teaching.

Main Results:

• General agreement exists that patient education is a nursing responsibility, yet it is often neglected in practice.
• Reasons for ineffective patient education include insufficient training and educational preparation for nurses.
• Current nursing education may not adequately equip nurses with the necessary patient teaching skills.

Conclusions:

• Registered nurses are accountable for patient education as part of comprehensive nursing care.
• Effective patient teaching necessitates specific skills that must be developed during basic nursing training.
• Ongoing research aims to quantify the extent to which student nurses are prepared for their patient educator role.