Teaching Concept in Nursing Education

In a fast-paced health care environment, physicians don’t always have the time to walk
through every element of patient care with those in their charge. Physicians may also rely on
medical terminology or explanations that aren’t easily understood by lay patients. This set of
circumstances makes the professional nurse educator all the more important.

 Nurses clarify physician directives, providing both verbal and written instructions for patients.
 Nurses make sure patients and their caregivers understand the information being conveyed and
take steps to further explain when necessary.
 Nurses often make follow-up calls to patients to ensure they aren’t having issues of concern.
 Nurses direct patients to additional resources when necessary and often provide continuum of
care, making necessary referrals and letting patients know what to anticipate when they see
specialists.

Being part of the nursing profession requires an ability to communicate well with patients,
speak in an effective and calming manner, and convey critical information in a clear,
compassionate manner. As such, patient education in nursing includes nurse training in areas
such as communication skills and active listening. Nurses with exceptional aptitude and
advanced degrees may further their careers serving as nursing instructors in formal education
settings.

A.Teaching Role & Responsibilities for the Professional Nurse

B.Teaching Role & Responsibilities of Nurse Educators

A.Teaching Responsibilities for the Professional Nurse

Nurses are not simply health care providers and caregivers; they’re also patient educators
with a responsibility to provide patients and their family members with vital information
ranging from discharge instructions to medication overviews, diet and exercise regimens.
Well-versed in patient education nursing techniques and client teaching, professional nurses
are effective communicators and can help make sometimes confusing physician instructions
simple and straightforward for their patients.

Types of Nurses
Many health care professions have the term “nurse” in their titles, but there are a wide range
of nursing vocations, each of which comes with its own set of educational and licensing
requirements. To a certain extent, all nurses are expected to be educators in health, though
each has a distinctive role.

Nurse's Aide (CNA)

Nursing aides and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) are individuals who typically complete a
multi-month program in basic caregiving skills and are charged with assisting nurses in
carrying out predetermined functions. Nursing assistants and aides cannot diagnose,
dispense medication or offer detailed medical education or advice. They are primarily
responsible for following directives set forth by licensed nurses and physicians. This often
includes patient mobility and personal care, taking and monitoring vital signs and assisting
with simple medical procedures. CNAs can sometimes perform client teaching on home-care
routines if directives are provided by a licensed health care professional.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
Licensed practical nurses typically complete a one-year nursing program and must be
licensed by the state in which they operate. (This includes passing an exam called the NCLEX
in European Contries .) LPNs carry out the directives of registered nurses and nurse
practitioners, as well as physicians, particularly with regard to client teaching. In addition to
administering medicine, performing routine procedures, taking vitals and monitoring progress,
LPNs sometimes perform discharge instructions, particularly in doctor offices, where they
provide patient education about medication uses, interactions and follow-up care.

Registered Nurse (RN)

Registered nurses complete two to four years of education, attaining an ADN, Associate
degree in nursing, or a BSN, bachelor's degree in nursing. Registered nurses can diagnose
patients, develop care plans, perform some routine medical procedures and administer
medication. They are also charged with a large portion of patient education and client
teaching. This includes explaining conditions and procedures, describing potential outcomes,
complications and after-care instructions.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs)

Nurse practitioners have advanced degrees in nursing care and often work in primary
caregiving capacities. Nurse practitioners also serve in nurse educator roles, at a more
advanced degree than other licensed nursing professionals. In many cases, nurse
practitioners serve in a similar role as physicians, although holistic nursing and education is
often a primary function of care.

Types of Nurse Educator Roles

Professional nurses have a variety of responsibilities that vary based on the areas of care in
which they practice and the type of patient populations they serve. As such, nurses are
responsible for a wide range of nurse teaching functions.

Understanding Conditions

Nurses often discuss diagnoses with patients and their family members to help them
understand, in layman’s terms, what is going on in their bodies. They encourage patients to
ask questions about treatment options and outcomes, about care needs and recovery, or
condition management expectations.

Managing Prescription Medications

The nurse educator role is frequently prevalent in terms of medication management, teaching
clients about what medications that are being prescribed, what they are intended to do, and
what to watch for in terms of side effects. Nurse teachers provide education on dosing,
explain whether meds should be taken on a full or empty stomach, and when the patient
should expect to start noticing the effects of their medications.

Procedure Aftercare Directives

Whether a patient has major surgery or a sprained ankle, nurse teachers provide education
about post-discharge and at-home care. This might include direction on when and how to
change dressings, apply heat or cold, or perform a range of motion exercises. The nurse
educator role may also include being available for patient phone consultations.
Caregiver Education Techniques

Nurses provide holistic education, meaning they include the family or caregiver in patient
education discussions. This approach to patient education nursing helps ensure those
assisting the patient understand what to expect and how best to assist in recovery and
treatment efforts. This might include direction on how to bathe someone who is bedridden,
how to safely transport someone in and out of a wheelchair, how to provide wound care, and
how to monitor progress and take vital signs.

Nurses as Patient Advocates

Nurse educators don’t just provide care directives; they’re also charged with assessing
whether the patient or caregiver understands the information being distributed. Nurses as
educators in health might ask questions to ascertain understanding, such as Can you
describe for me what it means if your leg swells up or becomes hot? or Can you tell me what
types of food the doctor wants you to eat for the next several days? Asking questions helps a
nurse understand if further instruction and clarification is required.

Other Types of Patient Education

In addition to working directly with patients in a hospital or clinical setting, other types of
patient education nursing take place in other venues. Specialized training, education or
certification may be required for some of these forms of teaching.

Childbirth Education: Obstetrics nurses often provide patient education in the form of
childbirth classes for expectant parents. Classes include information about what to expect
before, during and after labor and delivery.

Lactation Education: New mothers who want to breastfeed their babies can benefit from
educational instruction from lactation coaches, who are often nurses. These specialized care
providers help moms adjust to the process and troubleshoot potential challenges that may
arise.

Child Care Classes: Pediatric nurses may provide child care classes that teach new parents
how to care for newborn babies. Classes typically include educational instruction on
transporting, bathing, feeding and handling babies, as well as tips on safety precautions,
including instruction on infant CPR and first aid.

Babysitting Classes: Pediatric nurse may offer babysitting classes for teens interested in
earning extra money as caregivers. Instruction typically covers child care and safety tips, as
well as emergency preparedness.

Disease Management: Clinics and hospitals often rely on nurses to provide specialized
educational instruction on disease management. This might include seminars or discussion
groups that focus on best practices in managing common diseases such as diabetes,
epilepsy, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Nutrition: Pharmacies, community health centers and medical centers often employ nurse
dietitians to provide educational series on diet and nutrition, weight management and healthy
food choices.

First Aid: Nurse educators sometimes teach first aid training to camp counselors, lifeguards,
youth group leaders, event planners, coaches and others in similar roles.
 Nurse hotlines: Many doctor offices, health insurance companies and hospitals offer patients
a nurse hotline number. Trained nurses are usually available around the clock to answer
patient questions and educate callers on a wide range of issues. Callers may use the service
to ascertain if they can safely treat a condition at home or if it requires medical intervention
such as hospitalization.

Long-Term Caregiving Education

When a family decides to care for an ill patient in the home, rather than use skilled nursing
facilities, nurses are often responsible for educating the caregivers on best practices for
providing adequate levels of quality care. This might include:

 Establishing an appropriate diet

 Demonstrating proper mobilization of patients
 Personal hygiene care and management
 Avoiding bed sores
 Monitoring vital signs
 Dispensing medications
 Disease and condition management

Nurse teachers can also educate at-home caregivers about the need for respite care.

Nurse Education in Corporate Settings

Nurse educators may be employed in corporate settings, providing corporate wellness
seminars that focus on workplace health and stress management. Nurses may also be called
into various places of business to administer flu shots, conduct routine blood work screenings,
and provide general health information to underserved populations.

Hospice Nursing Education Priorities

Hospice nurses are often well versed in geriatric and end-of-life care. This special breed or
nursing professional works in facility-based hospices and with families providing in-home
care. Hospice nurses are charged with educating family caregivers about what to expect as
the end of life approaches, as well as provide instruction on how to provide palliative care –
care that has an objective of providing comfort rather than cure. Education centers around
how to make the patient comfortable through the final days and hours of life.

Home Health Nursing

Home health nurses visit patients in their homes. In addition to providing care, home health
nurses also provide patient education to ensure the individual is able to handle their own care
in the absence of health care providers. In a nurse educator role, this often includes
evaluating the cleanliness of the home, inquiring about eating and personal care efforts,
ensuring medications are being taken as prescribed, and that physician orders are being
followed.

Community Health Nursing

Nurses who work in community health centers and health departments must be able to
provide patient education and client teaching on a wide range of subjects. Patients may be
from low-income areas in which access to preventive care is not always an option.
Community health nurses educate patients on health care resources available to them, such
as vaccinations, low-cost prescriptions, and affordable medical care options. They may also
provide education on disease prevention and family planning.
B. The Role and Responsibilities of Nurse Educators

Nurse educators inspire, teach, and mentor the next generation of nurses, leading the way to
the future of patient care. Without them, graduating nurses would be ill-equipped to face the
ever-changing demands of today’s dynamic healthcare system.

The best nurse educators take time to invest in their students and teams at a personal level.
They prepare aspiring nurses for the transition to the real world, and their efforts don’t stop at
graduation; many nurse educators continue mentoring and advising nurses throughout their
careers.

In today’s article, we’ll discuss how leaders in nurse education play significant roles in shaping
the future of nursing.

What is a Nurse Educator?

Instead of dedicating their career exclusively to patient care, a nurse educator is passionate
about teaching and advocating for nurses. They instruct aspiring nurses and offer guidance,
which may include training in both practical and educational settings.

Nurse educators hold an advanced degree, either a master’s or doctoral. They are often
employed by universities, but are also found in hospital or clinical settings where they keep
nurses up-to-date on the latest needs in health and patient care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) outlines eight core competencies for nurse educators
which are, in summary:

1. Theories and principles of adult learning

2. Curriculum design and implementation
3. Nursing practice
4. Research and evidence
5. Communication, collaboration, and partnership
6. Ethical/ legal principles and professionalism
7. Monitoring and evaluation
8. Management, leadership and advocacy
Nurse Educators in an Academic Setting

Nurse educators play an important role in promoting quality nurse education.

In community colleges and universities, nurse educators teach in a traditional setting. They
instruct others using a curriculum they’ve created and find new ways to engage students. These
teaching strategies are grounded in educational theory and evidence-based practices.

Effective nurse educators are passionate, lifelong learners who work to keep up with changing
techniques in technology, medicine, and teaching.

Roles of a Faculty Nurse Educator

Balancing all the duties required of an educator can be tricky, especially as a member of
university faculty.
Not only teachers, nurse educators serve as administrators, advisors, clinical coaches, lab
instructors, mentors to new faculty members, course developers, researchers, and more.

It’s also crucial that a faculty works together as a team, sharing the load and providing students
with a truly exceptional nurse education.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) categorizes a nurse educator’s
duties into three main roles: collaborator, director of student learning, and role model.

Collaborators

Nurse educators are collaborators, capable of bringing others together and building
partnerships. Aside from nursing staff, they coordinate student learning with professors across
all disciplines.

Nurse educators also prepare students to work as a team in an environment where

collaborative relationships have been directly linked to better patient outcomes.

Director of Student Learning

The director of student learning encourages development of staff, program, and curriculum. A
faculty member in this role should have graduate level courses in education as well as nursing.

Role Models for Students

Nurse educators provide ongoing mentorship and serve as examples to students through
various stages of hands-on learning. It’s an especially important role in clinical development,
where students look to their teachers for feedback on patient interaction, decision-making, and
health assessment.

Role Models for Faculty

Seasoned nurse educators serve as role models for newer faculty as well. By spearheading a
culture of learning, nurse educators can inspire each other to improve the delivery of nurse
education

Nurse Educators in a Hospital Setting

A nurse educator’s role looks a bit different in a hospital setting. Rather than instructing
students who are at the beginning their nurse education, these educators support working,
registered nurses through experiential learning.

Fostering Growth

Nurse educators work with their teams and other staff to assess each students’ capabilities.
This gathering of information, combined with direct observations, allows them to provide
feedback on ways the student can improve within the healthcare setting.

Some areas of student evaluation may include:

 Effectiveness in applying person-centered care

  Independently implementing and following up on nursing interventions
 Being able to accurately document patient history, status, diagnosis, actions, and
summary of care
In addition to student development, nurse educators also support the professional growth of
healthcare teams. This often involves arranging team-building exercises and educational
seminars for nursing staff and colleagues.

Researchers

When it comes to research, nurse educators serve as advisors, collaborators, and patient
advocates.They are an excellent resource for nurses who are working on clinical research,
answering questions and ensuring that patients receive the protection they need.

Servant Leaders

Nurse educators lead by example as they support and guide nurses during transitional periods.
They serve with ethical conviction and professionalism, encouraging their team to do the same.

Through their actions, nurse educators are responsible for creating a team that communicates
well and works together, improving patient care along the way.

Nurse Educators and Staff Retention

Since nurse educators help support the development of new staff, more professionals in this
role can help alleviate turnover. With nearly one out of every five new nurses quitting their jobs
within the first year, on-the-job support is needed.

From an employer’s perspective, this kind of turnover can cost them as much as $88,000 per
nurse.

Organizations have also found their turnover rate decreases when they foster a culture that
promotes learning and encourages skill-building.

Creating a Positive Culture

Nurse educators are essential in creating a positive work environment. When they do their job
well, their team is more likely to stay, decreasing turnover rates and giving everyone a win.

The bottom line: nurses that feel heard, understood, and supported, are more likely to stay in
their position and thrive.

Lead the Future of Healthcare

If your organization is seeking ways to improve nursing staff retention, Global Health Education
(GHE) can help. GHE specializes in partnering with employers to hire and retain the best talent
for your team.

We can help you find the right fit by optimizing your tuition assistance programs and education
benefits