DQ: Using the health belief model, how can nurses encourage patients to make immediate and permanent behavior changes; particularly as they relate to lifestyle choices?
The nurse has a crucial role in informing patients and their families. It’s crucial that the education accommodates the learning preferences of the students. The four different learning preferences are aural, read/write, kinesthetic, and visual, according to Sonya Blevins (2020). A learner’s learning style can be accurately assessed, which improves learning results and retention. The nurse frequently tests a patient’s comprehension of the information presented and repeats the education provided by the providers. Using the assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation phases of the nursing process, nurses create educational care plans that are tailored to each patient’s specific requirements. In their role as health educators, nurses use evidence-based practice to guarantee the greatest results.
Other factors than learning styles need to be taken into account when educating patients and their families. One’s educational background must be taken into account; it is advised that instruction be directed toward reading and writing proficiency equivalent to that of the sixth grade. Additionally, it’s crucial to ensure that the material is provided in the language that the student prefers. The patient’s capacity for hearing, seeing, and speaking should also be evaluated (Blevins, 2020).
Another important factor to take into account is a patient’s readiness to learn. Learning is frequently hampered by the physical, emotional, or cognitive limitations of many people. When this happens, it can be beneficial to include the support people in the educational process. It is also important to evaluate how well the information was understood and retained.
When a patient’s actions are detrimental to their health, behavior objectives in treatment plans or health promotion are required.
DQ How can nurses motivate patients to immediately and permanently alter their behavior, especially in relation to lifestyle decisions, using the health belief model?
The behavioral objectives offer a framework for expectations and goals for the patient, support people, and healthcare team regardless of whether the patient is compliant or not. For patients to develop goals that encourage behavior change, professionals like nurses are frequently needed. It has been discovered that a goal’s characteristics affect a person’s commitment to achieving the goal. For instance, it has been discovered that “simple” goals encourage ineffective effort and performance (Bailey, 2017). A nurse can guide the patient through the challenging goal-setting procedures.
R. Bailey (2017). Setting goals and creating an action plan to improve unhealthy behavior 13(6), 615-214; American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827617729634
S. Blevins (2020). MedSurg Nursing, 29(3), 213-214. Medication education: preparing the patient for discharge.
Re: DQ 1 for Topic 1
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The nurse should think about any obstacles that will make it more difficult for students to learn while establishing a care plan or education program to promote health. Nurses should work with the interdisciplinary team to develop a plan of care that includes the patient and family to ensure that they are willing to carry out the plan of care in order to improve patient teaching outcomes.
When the nurse notices the patient is willingly ready for a change to enhance health and wellness, behavioral objectives should be used. Precontemplation, contemplation, planning, action, maintenance, and termination are the six stages of behavioral objectives.
Giving patients evidence-based health counseling and education is a professional and ethical obligation for nurses (Richard, Evans, & Williams, 2017). Language challenges, socioeconomic situation, availability of transportation, access to medications or medical equipment, and other factors should all be taken into account when teaching a patient.
Recognizing the patient’s capacity and openness to learning is crucial when formulating a care plan for them. Family and/or caregiver involvement is another strategy used to improve the patient’s outcome. The patient’s top concerns or educational needs should be elicited while creating a care plan. It’s possible that the nurse has different intentions than what the patient perceives as a challenge or worry. A nurse can find out if a patient is understanding what is being taught and participating in the educational process by asking open-ended questions.
The patient’s behavioral goals should be regularly evaluated in order to promote their health. For instance, a patient with dementia could require help remembering when to take their meds. Depending on the severity, they could require assistance receiving the prescription or perhaps the setup of a pill dispenser. Participating the patient in the care planning process can help to achieve goals for managing disease processes or diseases and enhance health quality. The patient may occasionally be resistant to education or a change in unhealthy habits. There are various models for health promotion. In the belief that it will lead to better health care, the participatory health paradigm combines shared decision-making into patient-centered medicine. Individual family members and health care providers can cooperate utilizing this model to establish a successful team by including respect and open communication (Levy et al., 2016). Regardless of the model employed, the use of evidence-based practice and the scope of practice should be taken into account when creating care plans and strategies for health promotion.
