I am a nurse preparing to provide discharge teaching for a 59-year-old patient recuperating from a stroke. The patient lives alone with no family support. Therefore, I have to teach them about how to use the walker, take his medication and care of himself in the future. The first step is ensuring his house is safe and clear of any limitations to how he can use his walker. Another critical step is ensuring that he receives adequate nutrients to make his heart strong and lessen the risk of another stroke.
Teaching Content
First and foremost, I must advise the patient of all the prevention measures and detailed directions for what to do to prevent another stroke. In addition, I should ensure that the patient has a list of emergency contacts to call if they suffer stroke symptoms, preferably a social worker (Fikarwin & Lubis, 2020). The first lesson the patient must learn is the need to regularly exercise. This includes taking taking modest steps with the help of his walker, avoiding stress and eating a balanced diet. In addition, I will show the patient how to complete range of exercises to undertake to strengthen the heart. Regulating smoking and alcohol intake is another issue that I will advice the patient on (Bilik et al., 2017). Finally, self-care through things such as limiting cholesterol and regularly checking their blood pressure is the last item that I will teach the patient.
Teaching Strategies
The teaching strategies that I will use will entail mainly vocal delivery because the patient is elderly and they will not be able to read. In teaching the patient verbally, I will:
- Create a connection with the patient; this entails introducing myself, engaging in eye contact, and conversing with him in a courteous and friendly way. These excellent communication approaches will help the patient learn more effectively (Fikarwin & Lubis, 2020).
- Use simple language by minimizing medical jargon, and explaining things to him in plain terms.
- Provide a simple step-by-step guidance.
- Encourage him to ask questions and offer comments.
Ways to Evaluate if the Teaching was Effective
To evaluate if the teaching was effective, I should repeat the lesson. This will ensure that the patient can repeat and explain what they learned and further assess if they have mastered the lesson. Finally, I will ask a series of simple questions to assess his level of understanding regarding medication and treatment.
Factors that can Compromise the Patient’s Ability to Learn
Various situations might jeopardize a patient’s capacity to learn. Cognitive impairments such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, vision impairments, auditory impairments, and musculoskeletal impairments are examples of these (McCurley et al., 2019). In addition, people who are in pain or are stressed may have difficulties concentrating and remembering information.
Developmental Level and Cultural Influences when Developing the Teaching Strategy
The developmental level and cultural influences I will use when developing learning styles will be based on the patient. For example, I will not use words or terms that they may not understand or could interpret in the wrong way. In addition, the type of communication I use while interacting with the patient depends on their cultural background, age, and intelligence level.
References
Fikarwin, Z., & Lubis, R. (2020). Model of family health empowerment preventing stroke in Puskesmas Ulee Kareng Banda Aceh. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1460, No. 1, p. 012076). IOP Publishing. Web.
McCurley, J. L., Funes, C. J., Zale, E. L., Lin, A., Jacobo, M., Jacobs, J. M. & Vranceanu, A. M. (2019). Preventing chronic emotional distress in stroke survivors and their informal caregivers. Neurocritical Care, 30(3), 581-589. Web.