Nurses' attitudes toward patient and family education: implications for clinical nurse specialists

This study had two purposes: (1) to examine nurses' attitudes toward patient and family education; and (2) to identify issues, barriers, and concerns related to patient and family education. A three-part survey was distributed to licensed nurses employed in a large healthcare system in Central Florida. Analysis of variance with posthoc multiple comparisons found differences in responses between different demographic groups. A model for meeting the patients' and families' education needs is proposed, using the various roles of the clinical nurse specialist to facilitate the process.