Patient Education

Create a one-page patient education tool that explains usage of a  medication and factors that can affect outcomes. Then, write 2–3 pages  in which you explain how the tool promotes patient safety and quality  outcomes, and adheres to the principles and practices of cultural  competence.

Do any of these sound familiar?

• “I felt better right away, so I did not think I had to take the rest of the medicine.”
• “Every time I took it, I threw up, so I just did not take it anymore.”
• “I lost my health insurance a couple of months ago and cannot  afford my medication all the time. I take it when I can afford to buy  it. This is better than nothing, right?”

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In addition to administering medications, nurses are assigned the  responsibility of educating patients about the proper use of the  medications that have been prescribed for them. Not an easy task! With  all the demands on a nurse’s time, it is easy to fall into the habit of  reciting instructions without taking the time to make sure those  instructions have been understood. When considering patient education,  you have to understand the differences between drug reactions,  interactions, allergies, and individual variations in drug responses.

In order to promote better patient safety and quality outcomes,  the instruction that nurses provide must be patient-centered and clearly  understood. Proper education helps patients learn about their  medications, how to take them correctly, avoid potentially harmful  errors or drug interactions, and have the desired quality outcome.

Medication errors can occur at any point in the drug  administration process. As the last person who touches a medication  before the patient actually takes it, it is vital that nurses are  familiar with the process of administration and be able to evaluate any  discrepancies.

Imagine your supervisor has asked you to develop a patient education  tool for new medication starts in your current area of practice. This  tool needs to provide important information to the patient, yet be  concise enough to require no more than one page.

Preparation

Review the suggested list of possible topics in Part 1 of the  Requirements and then search the Capella library and the Internet for  supporting resources. You will need to provide support for the  information you choose to include in the patient education tool.

Requirements

Complete both Part 1 and Part 2 of this assessment. You may submit  both parts in one document or submit them as separate documents. Be sure  you complete both parts!

Submit a total of 4–5 pages. Write no more than one page for Part  1. Write 2–3 pages, plus a separate reference page, for Part 2.

Complete the following:

1. Choose one of the following topics as the basis for your patient education tool:      
   • Antibiotics (Amoxil/Amoxicillin) for pediatric ear infections.
   • Statin therapy (Zocor/Simvastatin) for a newly diagnosed patient with hypercholesterolemia.
   • Antihypertensive (ACE inhibitors/Lisinopril/Zestril) for a  patient who was discovered to have hypertension at a health screening at  work.
   • Drugs for treating gastric acidity (Proton pump  inhibitors/antacids/H2 blockers) for a patient complaining of chronic  indigestion and heartburn.
   • Ear drops or eye drops (or both) for an elderly patient.
   • Any newly released medication for a patient in your area of  practice. This might be a new drug for diabetes, hypertension, or  arthritis or a new antibiotic.
2. Include the following in your patient education tool:      
   • Explain appropriate use of the medication.
   • Identify specific factors (age, access, culture, and so on) that may affect the efficacy of the medication.
   • Describe possible chemical interactions, side effects, or other negative reactions patients need to be aware of.
   • Explain correct handling, storage, and disposal of the medication.
   • Include any other information you feel would be beneficial and promote patient safety and quality outcomes.

You may format Part 1, the patient education tool, any way you  wish, but be sure it is logical and understandable by the typical  patient who would use it. Feel free to include pictures or diagrams to  reinforce the information.

Provide evidence for the information you included in the patient education tool:

• Explain how the information in the patient education tool promotes patient safety and quality outcomes.
• Explain how the patient education tool adheres to the principles  and practices of cultural competence. In other words, is the tool  appropriate for all cultures, genders, ages, et cetera; or could it be  easily adapted for specific needs?

Format Part 2 according to APA guidelines. This is not a document  you would provide to a patient but, for this assessment, it will provide  faculty with the academic and professional principles necessary to  evaluate your work.

Additional Requirements

• At least 2 current scholarly or professional resources.
• For Part 2 only:      
  • Use Times New Roman font, 12 point, double-spaced font.