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REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION

Registered nurses, attitudes, and patient education Johanna Esmeraldas Excelsior College

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION

The medical community as a whole is experiencing rapid change, induced through technological advances as well as a changing society. The medical field must constantly adapt to changes in the economy, government policies, and other regulating systems relevant to each facility. From a localized frame of reference, each facility must also effectively adapt to financial issues, new patients, legal claims, regional standards, and number of other challenges. As a result, health care professional are expected to learn and adapt as well to this changing environment so that they may provide sufficient care for patients. This expectation raises the issue of continuing education among health care professionals working in the field. When discussing education in its relevance to health care, one commonly overlooked area is the issue of patient education. One big focus in terms of patient education has to do with teaching the patient how to better manage their health and well-being, specifically prevention. Effectively educating patients benefits a patients health and overall well-being long after they are treated at a health care facility. This education extends into many areas, some specific to a patients unique needs, but it is through the individuals with whom the patient has the most contact that opportunities to educate often present themselves. Whatever the topic, the objective in patient education is often to instantiate a change in patient behavior that helps them live a healthier life. One such individual through whom a patient may potentially receive beneficial education related to their health and safety is a registered nurse. This paper will focus on the attitudes of registered nurses towards patient education in various settings.

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION

Driving the content of this paper focused on patient education, the specific question behind the research is, how are registered nurses attitudes towards patient education influenced by years of experience, educational background, and specific job roles? The answer to this question may be different for each individual nurse. This question is important to me because I have always believed that nursing care is influenced by a nurses attitude, degree of education, and job role. A nurse with a positive attitude, a baccalaureate degree, in a leadership position will most likely deliver quality nursing care, and hold a belief that patient education is key to patient compliance with medical issues. The research question was formulated through reading three articles. One article entitled The attitudes and activities of registered nurses towards health promotion and patient education in the emergency department by Michelle Taggart, delved into specific areas where patient education may lack quality, so that that health care professionals may try bring positive changes to these areas of weakness. It also seems evident that this author supports patient education on many levels, and would like to encourage PE efforts in the medical community. In this journal article, the reader can understand the impact a registered nurse has with a patient; as the article explains that for many people, an emergency department is used as a primary source for obtaining medical advice. Taking the previous statement into consideration, a nurses attitude toward patient education is an essential component in the delivery of effective patient education that contains health promotion and prevention.

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION In the article, Perceptions of registered nurses in four state health institutions on continuing formal education, the article recounts a study that delved into four separate state health institutions. The purpose of the study was to analyze the attitudes and perceptions of

continuing education among registered nurses. The research was conducted with the intended focus on the specific opinionated views about continuing education, as well as perceived obstacles to successfully continuing education while also tending to the other responsibilities of a registered nurse. The findings of this article largely indicate a perceived lack of employer cooperation with efforts to continue education. This includes a lack of sufficient institutional planning, and a lack of sufficient allowable time permitted for study leave among workers. Statistical feedback from a total of 40 registered nurses questioned, indicated that 60% agree that there exists a lack of employer cooperation with continuing education. Additionally, 62.5% of the nurses expressed unsupportive conditions connected with the granting of study leave, while 70% felt there is a lack of funding for continued education. This lack of support, whether real or perceived, directly impacts nurses capacity to engage and deliver effective and current patient education. As a source of knowledge to each patient regarding their health and safety, a registered nurse should be as educated as possible. In this study, it was widely expressed that enabling a more supportive environment for continuing education would serve to enhance the overall quality of patient care. In the article, Potential implications of registered nurse attitudes towards caring for older people, the correlation between quality care and positive attitudes toward older adults is

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION discussed. As our older population grows, nurses should come to the realization that more patients will be in the age group of older adult, and nursing leadership should prepare for this

by adopting a positive attitude toward the older patient in order to prevent ageism. Ageism is the belief that older adults are helpless, senile, and a burden on society. This article discusses the fact that older adults are now seen as contributors to society, and independent; this articles relates to the research question in that positive attitudes in nursing leadership have a direct impact on the quality of care delivered to older adults; ultimately, positive attitudes in registered nurses, means the delivery of patient centered care, and effective patient education. This research paper has re-assured me of one idea; in order to deliver current patient education, I, as a nurse, should be knowledgeable in my practice, and continue to maintain a positive attitude toward the older population. My patients rely on my knowledge, and on the delivery of the most effective patient education. I am currently involved with the older population, and in a leadership position; I plan to continue to spread a positive attitude toward the older population, in order to create a culture that is accepting of the older population. I also plan to deliver to my center, an environment that is centered on the importance of patient education; I would especially like to focus on new nurses and patient education. I have strongly benefited from doing this assignment mainly because I was not researching a topic that is foreign to me; I researched a topic that was about me, a registered nurse. I found myself identifying with different degrees of comfort in terms of patient education, and I found myself reflecting on different stages of my nursing career; as I go further into my degree, my degree of

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION comfort with PE heightens, and with a new leadership position, I find myself spreading the importance of patient education and positive attitudes. From this research project, I have taken with me that I should inject into my new nurses that continuing education not only impacts the nurses career positively, but the clients care as well.

REGISTERED NURSES, ATTITUDES, AND PATIENT EDUCATION

References Marshall, L. (2010). Student's corner. Potential implications of registered nurse attitudes towards caring for older people. Contemporary Nurse: A Journal For The Australian Nursing Profession, 35(1), 95-99. Richards, L., & Potgieter, E. (2010). Perceptions of registered nurses in four state health insititutions on continuing formal education. Curationis, 33(2), 41-50. Taggart, M. (2009). The attitudes and activities of registered nurses towards health promotion and patient education in the emergency department. NENA Outlook, 32(1), 15-19.

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