First of all look, at the patients needs, through simple quizzes (interview) regarding the topic that you need to be covered, if you can't  search in the literature review regarding the characteristics of the patient population you have.

Then start to cover each point that you thinks it is very important to the Patient and Family Education Program.

After that, evaluate the program by sending it to an expert may be two or three to see their comments regarding relevance, and adequacy of the information.

After making any modification, start to test the program on a sample of patients and family health members.

if you see that there was improvement in their knowledge regarding the point you need to be covered, then this program is effective.

Regard, and Good Luck

Look at the literature to identify the key aspects of patient education. Sometimes the aspects are more skill based than teaching behaviors and procedures. be sure to include a hands on training with equipment or supplies.

If you are speaking to the overall issue of patient education by nurses, look at the key components of Condition- cause, treatment (evidence based practice), what the patient needs to do to get well, stay well or know when they are getting ill. How to perform self monitoring, medication regimen, special exercise, behaviors (smoking cessation), and daily life modifications or alterations. They also need to understand community resources- where to get help, more education, medicine, equipment, additional treatment, internet sources and of course (depending on country) costs and prices and access.

Nurses really need to understand the importance of teaching the patient and family the basics. I always ask my nursing students about how long it took them to learn about foley catheters and collection bag care. Then I ask them what would they teach a patient about going home with a catheter? how to empty, secure to leg, change bags, clean bag, catheter care.

health literacy- nurses need to understand that having a brochure or website for education isn't the answer/ Can the patient read? Do they have visual or auditory deficits? Then the real test of literacy is can the patient apply the learned information to their lifestyle, routine?

In working with patients and families a big    need expressed by many as being helpful is having information on who or where to call if they have a question or a problem.

If your question is related to specific condition  education, the previous answer is on track. Look at the literature, visit the condition related websites for the latest practices, develop your work and send it to experts for review. be sure to include multiple disciplines in the review process. Pharmacists, physicians and Nurse Practitioners, social workers, and yes, patients!

Do a readability screening to check for reading level for comprehension. That is most helpful in making the language as simple as possible.

I hope that helps as the topic is huge!

The above is a small portion, but one has to start somewhere!

I think you need to first define the goals of the program-what it is you want to achieve at the end. For each goal you then develop objectives (road map) on how you intend to reach the goal. For instance one of your goals could be a nurse who is competent in communicating with patients from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds. So your objectives will probably touch on communication skills, etc. 

Then you may describe how you are going to deliver on each of the objectives, what resources you need, and who else can be your resource (experts that can be brought it as guests) etc.

It is also crucially important to "know"  your service consumers, i.e. the patients who are end-beneficiaries of the initiative- who they are, their needs; their beliefs, what they already know and have, etc. as in some cases the education would be specific to a particular condition or disease.

as a key component of the programme you need to develop monitoring and evaluation system (key indicators and targets) based on desired outcomes (objectives) and impact (goals).

I would be interested in collaborating with you in the development of your project. Please email me offline if you are interested.

Kathi

[email protected]

Patients education, outcome, & compliance are excellent goals for nursesto do. In order to develop such program and reach this goal, you need to focus on specific topics, for example identify the needs for patients admitted to CCU, or Hemodialysis unit..etc. be focused. Broad general program will lead into no where!.

I agree with all the good suggestions already offered.  Based on my experiences here are some thoughts. 

Nurses tend to teach the way they were taught.  Patients don't need initially in depth A & P, symptoms, pathology etc.  It scares them.  It is best to start with the immediate need of the patient and then work in some A&P etc. 

Any education should address visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners.  Hand outs, discussion about the content and then manipulating any technical equipment if needed is most helpful. 

Also nurses need to know, just because patients know what to do, doesn't mean they will do it.  We are transitioning to calling not following treatment protocols nonadherence, rather than noncompliance.  Sometimes lack of follow through has to do with lack of money,  lack of transportation, physical inability and a host of other situations.  It is always important to ask patients during an education session what in their life would prevent them from following what has been recommended for their health.

Good luck!

You may find the following link to the Health Literacy Universal Precautions Tool kit from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality useful: http://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/professionals/quality-patient-safety/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/healthliteracytoolkit.pdf. As Dr. Lawrence states above I would caution you from making direct cause and effect  claims about patient education. 

Salam,

I think the benificial educatonal family program should be culturally sensitive, interm of the uniquness of population needs and their competencies. my advice to assess the needs, competencies and qualifications of the target population (patients, family as well as nurses) before proceeding in program building. a mini self-report tool can give you an impression on their preference and expectations regarding such programs.

regards

Thank you all for your positive feedback.  I am not aware of a curriculum in which nurses are taught how to teach. With that in mind, my focus is not on specific diseases, but on the the process of how to teach patient and family, and what the process entails. My plan is to create an education program using the QSEN Competencies framework and cover areas such as the theoretical basis of patient and family education. This course will be designed to provide nurses with guidelines and techniques that will help them become more knowledgeable and confident in providing health teachings to patient and family. Importantly, I plan to  direct their attention to evaluating not what content and procedures they have taught, but what the patient and family can do as a result of our teaching efforts.

I think your effort is the exact direction that nurses must be prepared to more appropriately interact with their patients and family.

I was just reading reflections from my senior students on their learning moments in my community/public health class. As part of the theory, we discuss health behavioral theory (briefly), the students research the one that they identify as being of interest to them. They are then asked to develop a teaching tool (class, brochure, poster) to be used in a community experience. We conduct a simulation of patient teaching. They also have clinical experiences in the community with hands on work with patients that really turns the light on!

I applaud your efforts as they are so important to patient self care and autonomy, but also to safety!

Carolyn Cutili   (University of Pennsylvania Health System)

Please see the attached paper on patient education program development from the Advisory Board and Bellin Health Care.  I think you will find this info helpful as wells as the other info provided. There are numerous books on how to teach.  Here are some "No time to teach" by Fran London, Health Literacy text by Ann Purcell.   It is great to have all your efforts to help patents understand.

DEAR Linda

please visit this link (my project) to have an idea on my experience in designing educational films for informal caregivers. 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLR7KEwWrG1C69nkOOlhjnGRycwTB2UZlI

there is 17 video clips targeting very basic caregiving skills.

regards 

Hi Linda,

Your comment about "evaluating not what content and procedures they have taught, but what the patient and family can do as a result of our teaching efforts" reminds me that it is always good to look at your end objectives. I find Kirkpatrick's 4 levels of evaluation, invaluable for this. His levels are 1) Participant's reaction - What does the learner feel about the education at the time of the education (i.e. did they like it?). I find that unfortunately, many adult education evaluations end here. 2) Measure of participant's learning - what facts, knowledge, etc. did the learner gain (i.e. did they learn it?) This is where most university or college courses end, 3) Participant's behaviors - did the participant change their behaviour or apply new knowledge to their practice - did they use it? This is where we should be heading as patient  and staff educators, and 4) Organization's return on investment - was there a decrease in hospital admissions, readmissions, etc. This one is way beyond the scope of most programs (i.e. requires a mulitdisciplinary, multidimensional approach, but is sure interesting to ask!). My thoughts for the day... Good luck with your program development. Eveline

Excellent Advice Eveline. Well said also.

Congratulation Linda Coy for having the interest to study Patient and Family Education Program.  I suggest you define patient, family, and education program and determine how  these 3 concepts are related. Answer the questions according to the definition of  patient, family, and education program and how these 3 concepts are related. (1) What are needs of the patient and family? (2) What are the needs of the nurses  to be able to educate the patient and family? The data emerging from these questions will serve as basis to structure patient and family education program with goal, objective, strategies, implementation, and evaluation to promote quality patient care and compliance to health care. To be guided in structuring health education program, you should develop a paradigm that will illustrate the relationship of patient, family, nurses, and health education program leading to quality patient care and compliance to health care. Your output  is Health Education Program . My pleasure to work with you on health education program development. Good luck. [email protected]

Dear Linda Coy: I developed a framework on Structuring Patient and Family Education to assist you. The framework illustrates the process of structuring education program. I hope it will help you. I will fully appreciate your comment if the attached framework benefits you.