Teaching

[jessbRN]

I am currently working on a Med-Surg floor and I love it! I've been here for seven months now, which is hard to believe. It has gone by so fast and I love (almost) every minute of it! One thing I do struggle with though, is teaching. My days go by so fast and there is so much to do, I want to make sure that I can adequately take care of my patients without feeling rushed, but I am also realizing that teaching makes such a difference!

Would anyone be able to help me with tips on how I can provide patient teaching and relay it to a patient so there not saying, "Yes, I know to wash my hands," or, "Yeah yeah yeah, smoking isn't good. I've heard it a thousand times." I want to teach in a way that will help to captivate my patients so they will retain this information, not just give me an eye roll. I also realize that everyone is different and that they require different methods of teaching and that some people out there just doesn't care about learning. But, I do want to start somewhere and do all that I can for these patients.

Thanks in advance!!

[smf0903]

I try to work teaching into my chit chat so it's not so "beating them over the head". Passing meds? Ask if any are new or how they take them at home...sometimes info can be given at that time. Asking if the pt has any questions they thought of after the doc left, sometimes presents a teaching moment. There are lots of ways to present teaching without it seeming like a lecture. I find pts are more receptive when you can relate something from yourself in there...it makes you more "human" and less like the person beating them over the head about their diet, salt consumption, smoking, whathaveyou. Good luck!!

Wanted to add, it's also important to know what your patient's goals are when teaching. Ex: if you have a COPDer who is on home O2, and for the love of Pete they aren't going to give up their cigarettes for anything, at least cover that they can't smoke with their O2attached to their face. If they are steadfast in not giving up smoking, my opinion is why constantly beat that dead horse? Cater the teaching to that particular pt

[NewEnglandRN16]

In our documentation we have a teaching section we need to document on in each shift. It's helpful because it lists items so that was helpful.

Our hospital is big about side effects. Whenever I give meds I will ask the patient if they have questions about any side effects. If there are any meds they are new to or unfamiliar with I will print out a pt education sheet from our med index.

Of course teds stockings, ambulating, incentive spirometer, dx specific diets, etc. are easy topics.