patient education Archives

patient education

A push to develop early sexual health education in California

February 24, 2020

In California, schools are required to teach sex education at least once in middle school (usually grade seven) and once in high school (usually grade 9). While individual…

Adults with chronic kidney disease: Overview and nursing care goals

March 3, 2020

Takeaways: Millions of adults in the United States have or are at risk for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD); incidence continues to rise and CKD impacts many aspects…

Block the pain: A nursing perspective on an opioid-sparing approach

November 3, 2020

Understanding types of regional anesthesia helps ensure optimal patient outcomes. Takeaways Regional nerve blocks limit the use of opioids in patients after surgery and are being used more…

Can you fire a patient?

October 16, 2018

The answer may surprise you. WHAT can you do with a patient who won’t comply with any of your directives? You’ve provided education until you’re blue in the…

Do you know the schedule for vaccinating children?

November 11, 2010

Learn how to promote pediatric immunizations in your practice. Part of ANA’s Bringing Immunity to Every Community campaign. this handout stresses the importance of vaccinating children and their…

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Dumping syndrome: Causes, management, and patient education

January 11, 2018

Learn how to identify and manage this under-recognized syndrome. Takeaways: Dumping syndrome is often misdiagnosed. The clinical manifestations of dumping syndrome are categorized as early or late. Dietary…

FDA issues recommendations for strengthening cybersecurity of devices

October 9, 2014

On Oct. 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalized recommendations to manufacturers for managing cybersecurity risks to better protect patient health and information. Read more.

From our readers…Talking to patients about a “weighty” issue: Are you ready?

October 11, 2010

As the prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to rise, no doubt more of your patients are having weight issues that complicate their medical conditions and…

Getting comfortable with carbohydrate counting

February 3, 2022

Mr. Tucker,* a 20-year-old man with type 1 diabetes, is admitted to the hospital for a severe hypoglycemic event. For about a month, he’s experienced these events about…

Getting the message out: Older adults need oral care

February 11, 2010

Despite its link to overall health, older adults often do not get the proper oral health care they need. “Affordable, accessible preventive care, including oral health care, is…

Gold standards: ANA and nurse experts promote using national guidelines to inform, intervene with patients

March 11, 2010

Nurses can help consumers understand and incorporate key healthcare recommendations into their lives.

Hypoglycemia: An unwelcome companion to effective diabetes management

September 11, 2018

Hypoglycemia is generally defined in adults and children with diabetes as a blood glucose (BG) ≤ 70 mg/dL with or without hypoglycemia symptoms. A more comprehensive definition is…

Improving patient education with Health Failure Mode and Effects Analysis

June 11, 2012

Learn how this tool helped an ICU analyze and correct flaws in its patient-education process

Issues up close

September 11, 2010

To increase health literacy, we need to educate patients and consumers about health issues in a more meaningful, individualized, and patient-oriented way.

Lessons for more efficient research in healthcare settings

July 28, 2014

My Own Health Report, a collaboration between seven research institutions with the goal of streamlining how healthcare providers communicate with patients about preventative health topics, has identified four…

Motivational interviewing: A communication best practice

September 23, 2019

This collaborative approach can influence behavior change and improve healthcare literacy. Takeaways: Motivational interviewing (MI) is collaborative conversation style that promotes positive health behavior change and strengthens an…

New guidelines for the management of school-based asthma

January 10, 2020

The Community Preventative Services Task Force (CPSTF) recently released new recommendations around the management of school-based asthma. These management strategies aim to reduce the amount of hospitalizations and…

New York City to launch program for postpartum depression

February 10, 2020

A new program for helping families affected by postpartum depression is set to hit New York City in 2024. The program is The New Family Home Visits initiative,…

Opening the lines of communication about HPV

August 28, 2017

When parents resits the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine, be prepared to listen and educate. Takeaways Patients and parents may have misconceptions about the purpose of the HPV vaccine.…

Oral Chemotherapy: Not just an ordinary pill

September 8, 2016

Fran, a triage nurse in a busy primary care office, receives a call from Marla Rodriguez, whose mother is a long-time patient. Marla says her mother has an intense red rash over most of her…

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Our readers respond

November 11, 2010

Concurring on “quantum” nursing I was delighted with Leah Curtin’s eloquent description of the beliefs I’ve embraced in my nursing career (“Quantum nursing,” September 2010). I have “preached”…

Patient and family tele-education

May 10, 2021

Remote education is an effective teaching tool. Takeaways: Tele-education can serve as an alternative to in-person subcutaneous injection training for patients and families. Patients and families found tele-education…

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy

May 20, 2022

Many of us tune out during commercials that list the rare side effects of a medication. However, understanding the side effects of disease-modifying and immunosuppressive drugs can help…

Promoting health literacy

August 1, 2024

Effective patient education must include assessment, planning, implementation, and education; skipping one of these components puts the patient at risk for suboptimal education. Healthcare professionals frequently focus on…

Promoting patient portal engagement

December 20, 2021

Nurses can increase the use of a valuable healthcare tool. Editor’s note: This is an early release of a web exclusive article for the January 2022 issue of…

Providing effective patient teaching on the Internet

March 24, 2009

A study compares two approached to high-tech teaching.

Quantum nursing III: Connecting on the same wavelength

March 11, 2011

Dr. Curtin explains why nurses should consciously “connect” with patients and describes the neural mechanisms that make this possible.

Study: Online prostate cancer information may be hard for patients to understand

October 11, 2012

Although experts recommend that patient-education materials be written at the fourth-through-sixth grade level, a study published online by the Journal of Urology found that only 4.8% of websites…

Take Note – April 2009

April 11, 2009

A monthly round-up of clinical and practice news and alerts.

Teach-back: An underutilized tool

June 11, 2019

In an effort to encourage nurses to use the teach-back method when educating patients, we conducted a literature review on the topic of patient education and health literacy,…

Teachable moments: Asthma education in the ED

September 11, 2009

Using a “teachable moments” model, emergency department staff cacn teach patients now to manage their asthma.

Teaching ostomy patients to regain their independence

June 11, 2011

Make sure your ostomy patients leave the hospital with the knowledge and skills they need.

Teaching ostomy patients to regain their independence

March 11, 2008

Make sure your ostomy patients leave the hospital with the knowledge and skills they need.

Teaching patients about FDA recommendations for proper medication disposal

February 11, 2013

Accidental exposure to medication in the home is a major cause of unintentional poisoning in children. Recent data show even child-resistant containers can’t completely prevent a child from…

Teaching patients about vitamin and mineral supplements

April 11, 2013

More than one-third of Americans take vitamin and mineral supplements daily. Do you know what you should be teaching patients?

Vaccination and vaccine-hesitancy

July 2, 2024

Historically, vaccination rates among college students, specifically for human papillomavirus and seasonal influenza, have run low. The same trend has occurred with COVID-19 vaccination. To address this issue,…