Paragraph 1. The nurse’s responsibility is to ensure that patients understand all the information they are given. Consideration of the entire patient’s needs is one strategy that can be used. It is important to use behavioral goals consistently in order to improve health and alter unhealthy habits.
The nurses’ responsibilities are many during their shifts, and they also play the role of health educators. Individualized education can increase patient outcomes and should include addressing language and cultural barriers, ensuring the patient and caregivers are ready to receive information, and assessing the patient’s current knowledge and misconceptions about their disease. Assessing the patient’s willingness to learn and utilizing behavioral objectives is important to modify the approach for each patient’s needs and optimize outcomes.