BSN student asking for help writing paper

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

I want to help you with some general guidelines because I know how much nurses hate to write papers, and I congratulate you on returning to school!

First, educate yourself on health literacy and its significance. Recognizing how often we fail to communicate health information to our patients can transform your practice. If they do not understand what was taught, it is not their fault; it is our responsibility.

Here are some guidelines:

In the introduction, tell them what you're going to tell them. In the body, tell them. In the conclusion, tell them what you told them.

Follow formatting guidelines to the letter.

Introduction

• Begin by introducing the topic. You didn't say whether the assignment is more about health access or health literacy.
  • Are you focusing on free clinics and assessing one clinic across four dimensions, including health literacy?
  • Or is your topic centered on health literacy, with a free clinic serving as an example?
• Provide a brief overview and note that you will focus on one free clinic you visited.

Objective

State the objective of your paper: (example) analyze the availability, affordability, and access to healthcare services at this clinic, and discuss whether this clinic demonstrates health literacy initiatives.

Section 1: Availability of Services

• Clinic Hours. Describe the clinic's hours of operation. Are they available during evenings or weekends? This is crucial because many free clinics have limited hours.
• Talk about the clinic's staff. Do volunteers run it or have paid staff (e.g., nurses, nurse practitioners, doctors, social workers)? Do they provide specialized services (e.g., primary care, dental, mental health services)?
• Types of services provided. List the clinic's services, such as routine checkups, immunizations, preventive care, lab work, or mental health services.
• Discuss the average wait time to see a healthcare provider. Are patients seen in a reasonable time frame, or is there a backlog? Availability also includes the ability to meet patient demand.

Section 2: Affordability of Services

• Cost: Describe how the clinic makes healthcare affordable. Is care provided entirely free, or is there a sliding scale based on income? Do they ask for donations or charge any nominal fees?
• Insurance: Does the clinic accept insurance, and if so, which types? What happens to those who do not have insurance? How do they accommodate uninsured patients?
• Funding: How is the clinic funded? Is it government-supported, nonprofit, or community-funded? Knowing the funding model will help you explain how the clinic maintains its services without charging patients.

Section 3: Access to Services

• Describe the clinic's physical location. Is it easy to access by public transportation or car? How does this impact the clinic's ability to serve the community?
• Language barriers. Does the clinic offer services in multiple languages? Are interpreters available for non-English speaking patients?
• Special populations. Does the clinic serve vulnerable populations, such as low-income families, older adults, or immigrants? What accommodations do they make for these groups?
• Barriers to access. Are there any barriers that patients face in accessing services? For example, is it difficult to get an appointment?

Section 4: Health Literacy at the Clinic

• Briefly define health literacy. This refers to a patient's ability to understand and act upon health information, including medication instructions, preventive care, and disease management.
•  Discuss whether the clinic demonstrates efforts to improve health literacy. Some examples may include:
  • Patient education. Are there pamphlets or materials available in easy-to-understand language?
  • Patient-provider communication. Does the clinic clearly explain medical diagnoses and treatment plans? Does the staff take the time to answer questions in simple, layperson terms?
  • Are patients required to repeat back information to show understanding?
  • Follow-up Instructions. Are follow-up instructions clear, and do they include details about what patients need to do to stay healthy or manage conditions?
  • Use of technology. Does the clinic use technology (such as patient portals, text messages, or apps) to communicate health information or reminders to patients?
• Reflect on your personal experience and observations at the clinic. Did the staff encourage you or other patients to ask questions? Did they provide understandable information?

Section 5: Conclusion

• Summarize the key points. Briefly summarize your findings regarding the clinic's availability, affordability, access, and health literacy.
• Reflect on your overall impression of the clinic. Was it an effective model of care for the population it serves? Do you think it adequately addresses the health literacy needs of the community? Discuss possible improvements.

Tips for Writing

• When discussing the clinic's features, provide examples from your visit. For instance, "The clinic provided informational brochures about managing diabetes in simple language" or "The nurse took extra time to explain my medication clearly."
• Be clear and concise. Avoid jargon and write in clear, straightforward language. This will also demonstrate the health literacy you're discussing in your paper.
• Support your claims. Include citations from recent scholarly articles or textbooks if you reference health literacy standards, evidence-based practice, or other concepts.

Good luck!

Nurse Beth

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

CDC has excellent Health Literacy information for background info.