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How Nursing Patient Education Can Aid in Decreased Readmission

Nurse talking to patient and patient family to educate them

Patient education is an essential part of nursing in general. Patients can improve their health status with the help of education. When patients are actively involved in their care, they are more likely to participate in interventions that might raise the likelihood of successful outcomes. Additional ways for hospitals to lower readmission rates include improved medication reconciliation and patient education programs.

The role of nurses in patient education

From the time patients are admitted to the hospital until they are discharged, effective patient education is provided. Throughout a patient's stay, nurses should seize every chance to discuss self-care with the patient that arises. Teaching patients how to administer insulin injections, bathe a baby, or adjust a colostomy pouching system may be included in the self-care instruction. Without the right instruction, a patient might return home and pick up unhealthy habits again or neglect to take care of their medical condition.

Establishing Rapport

Nurses should establish a positive rapport with their patients in order to foster a setting that is favorable to patient education. Even if they have a chronic medical condition, informed patients can alter their lifestyles and maintain independence. Education can boost the likelihood of positive results and enhance patient satisfaction and safety.

Assessment and Teaching Modification

Moreover, many patients lack basic medical knowledge. To determine the most effective way to inform patients about their health and how much they already know about their medical condition, nurses must assess their patients. By engaging in conversation with patients, they can hone in on their concerns. To accommodate the patient's preferences, nurses may need to modify their teaching methods. While some patients might only want a checklist, the majority of patients want in-depth information.

Acknowledging that each patient is unique

Not every patient learns in the same way. Patients may struggle with literacy issues or developmental disorders. Plain text may not be as effective for all patients as visual content. Others might be hard of hearing or have trouble seeing. Language or cultural barriers may be encountered by nurses.

How does patient education aid in preventing readmission to the hospital

Patients who comprehend their post-hospital care instructions, including when and how to take their medications and what day and time to show up for their follow-up appointments, are 30% less likely to require readmission. Unfortunately, a significant portion of hospitalized patients does not receive training in self-care.

A number of interventions, such as scheduling outpatient appointments on time and ensuring medication reconciliation, can reduce hospital readmissions. The enhancement of provider-patient communication is one of the most effective methods. Excellent patient education can happen when communication is effective. When the proper tools are available, patients can help themselves. According to recent studies, using automated messaging technology in patient education protocols significantly lowers the number of readmissions to the hospital.

A lot of readmissions could have been avoided with better patient education during the discharge process, even though some are unavoidable and occur as a result of unforeseen medical complications. According to studies, the overall readmission rate could be decreased by up to 45% by involving the patient in his or her own care and providing easily accessible written post-surgical instructions.

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