Teaching-Learning Process
- Nurse as Teacher
- Required competencies
- Knowledge of subject matter
- Communication skills
- Teaching and caregivers has many challenges, including;
- Lack of time – Can be a barrier to effective teaching. Tell the patient at the beginning of the interaction how much time you can devote to the session. Some teaching should be delivered or reinforced during every contact with the patient or caregiver.
- Your own feelings as a teacher – Becoming familiar with the various resources for patient teaching that are available at your agency
- Nurse-patient differences in learning goals – Having realistic discussions about discharge plans, identifying timelines, and exploring home care options can emphasize the need for learning
- Early discharge from the health care system – Shortened lengths of hospital stays have resulted in patients only having basic teaching plans implemented.
- Open, relaxed positioning of patient, spouse, and nurse at eye level promotes communication in teaching and learning
- Required competencies
- Caregivers
- Caregivers are important
- About 1 in 4 adults provides care to someone on a daily basis
- Older adult women are the most common, but not the only, family caregivers
- Needs of the caregiver are vital in the teaching-learning interaction
- Caregiver Stress
- Responsibilities increase and change with progression of the illness
- An experience for which most are not prepared
- Can lead to burnout, fatigue, social isolation, family conflicts, and potential patient abuse
