The patient is a 26-year-old white female who has recently given birth to an infant boy. The patient is due to be released from the hospital the next day, as there are no significant health concerns for her or the infant. The assessment of bonding and integration showed no issues. Both the mother and the father show evidence of behaviors that promote bonding, such as skin-to-skin contact, eye contact, response to the distress, and more (Henry et al., 2016). However, the patient demonstrates a deficient knowledge diagnosis regarding infant care. The diagnosis was based on the survey of the patient and her concerns, indicated during a conversation with a nurse.
According to Mosby (2012), the suggested interventions, in this case, include breastfeeding assistance, lactation counseling, infant nutrition, and infant safety teaching. The main learning objectives are for the patient to become familiar with the processes and requirements of safe breastfeeding and lactation, as well as to develop an understanding of the infant safety procedures.
The teaching for both objectives is provided by the nurse and includes conversation, observation, correction, and evaluation of the patient’s performance before a hospital release. The final stage of the teaching process is to provide the patient with additional knowledge resources that she can access from home. Ward (2011) states that demonstration, provision of written material with pictures, and discharge instructions are all effective patient teaching methods, so they should be utilized in this case. All information provided to the patient is evidence-based, from both individual clinical expertise and credible medical sources. For instance, the use of WHO’s (2009) Infant and Young Child Feeding can be used to provide data on child nutrition and breastfeeding, whereas individual clinical expertise will be effectively used in demonstrations. Similarly, lactation information should be provided from reliable sources.
For instance, Witt, Bolman, Kredit, and Vanic (2015) show that therapeutic breast massage may decrease the pain resulting from engorgement, plugged ducts, or mastitis, as well as prevent these complications, resulting in healthier lactation and more comfortable breastfeeding. This information is to be communicated to the patient along with the information on where to obtain therapeutic breast massage and a demonstration of how to perform mild breast self-massage at home in-between visits. Instructions regarding infant safety should be given along with the information on the risks of injuries and their prevention, obtained from previous clinical experience. It is also useful to give the patient a handout containing a checklist of practices for home safety, such as an official brochure, providing information on the safety of the baby in a car, bath, and at home. For instance, the State of Victoria (2016) Better Health brochure emphasizes the importance of infant restraints in cars, controlled home environment, and constant parent supervision in preventing injuries.
The teaching is to be performed in a friendly manner with a lot of interaction, both between the nurse and the patient and between the mother and the infant. The appropriate use of eye contact, clear speech, and calm body language helps the mother to focus on the learning objectives. Evaluation of the learning results is mainly self-assessed, as the patient shows a lot of initiative and is prepared to ask questions or clarify certain concepts.
Overall, I believe that this teaching plan is appropriate for the patient. It is evidence-based and takes into account the individual characteristics of the learner, such as her enthusiasm for asking questions and reflecting on the learned information. By the end of the teaching process, the patient will possess the necessary knowledge regarding child nutrition, lactation, and infant safety, and provided with information about additional resources in case of any further questions, thus achieving her learning objectives.
References
Henry, N. J., McMichael, M., Johnson, J., SiStasi, A., Roland, P., Wilford, K. L., & Barlow, M. S. (2016). RN maternal newborn nursing: Review module (10th ed.). Leawood, KS: Assessment Technologies Institute, LLC.
Mosby. (2012). Nursing diagnosis: Knowledge deficit (specify). Web.
State of Victoria. (2016). Better Health babies and safety. Web.
Ward, J. (2011). How to educate patients.Nursing Times. Web.
Witt, A. M., Bolman, M., Kredit, S., & Vanic, A. (2015). Therapeutic breast massage in lactation for the management of engorgement, plugged ducts, and mastitis. Journal of Human Lactation, 32(1), 123-131.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2009). Infant and young child feeding: Model chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals. Web.