Health education Individual and community wellness are built on effective health education. All nurses utilize teaching as a tool to help patients and families build good health habits and change lifestyle patterns that predispose people to health risks. Health education is a significant role in achieving excellent patient outcomes.
Health Education Today
The changes in today’s healthcare environment necessitate implementing a systematic approach to health education for patients to satisfy their individual healthcare needs. The availability of health care outside of the traditional hospital setting, the use of diverse health care providers to achieve care management goals, and the increased use of alternative strategies rather than traditional approaches to care are all important factors for nurses to consider when planning patient education. Careful examination of these issues can offer patients with the comprehensive information they need to make well-informed healthcare decisions. The necessity for holistic health education to occur in every patient-nurse encounter is emphasized by consumer demands for comprehensive information about their health conditions throughout their lives.
The Purpose of Health Education
The public’s access to complete health care, which includes up-to-date health information, is one reason for the emphasis on health education. It also represents the growth of a more informed public, which is asking more probing questions about health and the services it receives. Members of the health care team, particularly nurses, are expected to make health education consistently available because of the importance of health in American society and the obligation each of us has to preserve and promote our own health. Consumers cannot make good health decisions without proper knowledge and training in self-care skills.
Chronically unwell people are among the most in need of health education. As our population’s life expectancy increases, so will the number of people suffering from such ailments. Chronically ill people require health-care information in order to participate actively in and take responsibility for much of their own care. When confronted with new settings, health education can assist these folks in adapting to illness, preventing complications, following prescribed therapy, and solving difficulties. It can also help to avoid crisis situations and lower the risk of rehospitalization due to a lack of self-care knowledge. The purpose of health education is to teach individuals how to live their lives in the healthiest way possible—that is, to try to reach their full health potential.
Adherence to Therapeutic Regimen
Patient education has the purpose of encouraging people to stick to their treatment plans. Adherence to a treatment regimen usually necessitates one or more lifestyle adjustments in order to engage in specified activities that enhance and preserve health. Taking prescription medicine, eating a healthy lifestyle, increasing everyday tasks and exercise, self-monitoring for signs and symptoms of illness, practicing specific good hygiene measures, seeking periodic health evaluations, and performing other therapeutic and preventive measures are all examples of behaviors that promote health. The reality that many patients do not follow their recommended regimens cannot be overlooked or understated; adherence rates are often low, particularly when the regimens are complex or long-term.
Key Terms
adherence: the act of following instructions or guidelines.
community: a group of people who live in the same area and follow the same rules.
feedback: Information about the results of input given to a person or a system is returned.
health-related education: a variety of learning experiences aimed at promoting health-promoting activities
promotion of good health: the art and science of assisting people in changing their lifestyles in order to achieve a greater level of wellness
learning: the process of learning and improving one’s abilities
learning readiness: the best moment to learn; usually coincides with the learner’s perceived need and desire to acquire specific knowledge.
Nutrition: The science of food and nutrition in humans is known as nutrition.
physical stamina: the state of being physically fit and healthy as a result of good nutrition and exercise.
reinforcement: the process of increasing the strength of a specific response or behavior.
self-responsibility: Taking responsibility for one’s acts or behavior on a personal level
The Nature of Teaching and Learning
Learning can be defined as the process of gaining new information, attitudes, or skills. Teaching is described as assisting someone else in learning. These definitions show that the teaching-learning process is active, involving participation from both the teacher and the student in order to achieve the desired outcome, which is a change in behavior. The instructor is more than just a source of information for the student; he or she is also a facilitator of learning. In general, there is no conclusive explanation concerning how learning takes place or how instruction influences it. However, factors such as readiness to learn, the learning environment, and the teaching approaches used can all influence learning. (Green & Kreuter, 1999; Bastable, 1997)
Learning Readiness
Learning preparedness is one of the most important elements that influence learning. Adult readiness is determined by factors such as culture, personal beliefs, physical and emotional well-being, and prior learning experiences. For an adult, the teachable moment comes when the knowledge and skills being taught are relevant to the work at hand (Redman, 2000).
Consider the patient’s beliefs about teaching while creating a lesson plan.
- Body size, shape, boundaries, and functions
- Beauty and strengthen
- Value of the mind or brain
- Nature and function of blood
- Diet and nutrition
- Communication
- Gender
- Family and social support
- Physical health and illness
- Mental health and illnesses
- Pain
- Medicine, herbs, and talismans
- Spirituality or religion
- Where a person’s essence or soul lies
The Learning Environment
Although learning can occur without the assistance of a teacher, most people who are trying to acquire new or altered health behaviors will require the assistance of a nurse for at least some of the time. Depending on the style and approaches of teaching that are considered to be most appropriate, the learner’s interpersonal engagement with the nurse who is striving to meet the individual’s learning needs may be formal or casual.
Teaching Techiques
When teaching strategies and procedures are tailored to the needs of the individual, learning improves. Lectures, group teaching, and demonstrations are just a few of the strategies available, all of which can be supplemented with specifically produced teaching materials. Although the lecture or explanation approach of teaching is popular, it should always be followed by a debate. Discussion is beneficial because it allows the student to express his or her views and worries, as well as ask questions and receive clarification.
For some persons, group teaching is appropriate since it allows them to learn important information while also feeling secure as members of a group. Those with comparable challenges or learning needs can identify with one another and obtain moral support and encouragement from one another. However, not everyone works well in groups or learns well in them, and some people may not profit from such opportunities. If group instruction is done, it is also necessary to assess and follow up with each participant to ensure that they have obtained sufficient information and skills.
