Marylou Bryan, RN
Baccalaureate Nursing Graduate of Old Dominion University 

Teaching Summary Project

NURS 402 – Nurse as Educator

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Purpose of Assignment

          The purpose of the assignment is to provide the student the opportunity to summarize in detail the development, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional intervention for a specific patient or professional group.

 

Approach to Assignment

          The patient population I was working with at the time of this assignment had two major health issues, dehydration and insomnia. I made my decision on dehydration when I found myself every shift doing some type of education regarding dehydration and/or proper hydration with individuals.  I really needed to focus on basic information and a good approach to help patients gain a better understanding of the importance of proper hydration. I completed a needs assessment, a teaching plan, reviewed implementations, evaluated methods, and reflected on the process during this assignment.

Reason for Inclusion

          I have used this teaching summary project with numerous different patient populations. I have found this information can be used across all ages, with every patient population regardless of their disabilities or mental health issues. Proper hydration is a very basic, first line of healthcare that is applicable to everyone. The information is applicable to everyone. It was absolutely time well spent. I will use this teaching summary project for the rest of my nursing profession. There are two components to this assignment, the summary paper and the video presentation.

 

Critical Thinking

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• Engages in creative problem solving.

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          This assignment forces me to look at the big picture of clinical care as related to the patients at Boxwood detox center and to focus on their educational needs. Throughout my nursing career dehydration has been a topic in the forefront of need for every patient population I have had the pleasure of working with thus fare. Thinking through this teaching assignment allowed me the opportunity to put myself in the patient’s shoes and to build something a patient population would be open to learning. I was able to create a teaching plan which made sense and could be used across the board with anyone. 

 

Nursing Practice

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• Applies appropriate knowledge of major health problems to guide nursing practice.

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          Fluid Volume Deficit or Dehydration are used interchangeably. A decrease in intravascular, interstitial, and/or intracellular fluid in the body resulting in tachycardia, decreased blood pressure, and postural hypotension, just to name a few complications of this major health problem which if not resolved leads to death. Education on the importance of proper hydration is an important part of my nursing practice leading to the promotion of improved health and better patient outcomes.

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• Implements nursing care practices as appropriate to provide holistic health care to diverse populations across the lifespan.

 

          Implementing this teaching in my nursing care has decreased the occurrences of serious dehydration cases needing increased medical interventions within the population at Boxwood detox center. The patient population at Boxwood detox center was my initial target audience. I quickly realized I could use this teaching project with individuals of all ages, and mental capacities. I have used this information with the geriatric population at the senior centers, and with the intellectually disabled/developmentally delayed population in the community group homes. This information is applicable on all levels throughout all generations. Dehydration is a topic which applies to everyone and can be used to educate a variety of patient populations.

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• Establishes and/or utilizes outcome measures to evaluate the effectiveness of care.

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          Using the nursing process of assessment, diagnoses, planning, implementing and evaluating I was able to create a teaching plan which produced positive outcomes by decreasing the occurrences of fluid volume deficit on the detox unit. The teaching practice on proper hydration has been established as effective care at Boxwood and adopted by the nursing staff.

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Communication

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• Adapts communication methods to patients with special needs.

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I have used this teaching presentation with a variety of patient populations. I used this presentation on dehydration with in a group homes environment with individuals diagnosed with intellectual disabilities with a co-occurring mental health diagnosis.  Dehydration/fluid volume deficit affects every population which makes my teaching presentation easy to use with anyone anywhere. The individuals at the group home really enjoyed learning about the importance of drinking adequate amounts of water daily. Two of the six individuals in that group home where showing signs and symptoms of dehydration then after the teaching program their conditions improved due after the education and the increase in water consumption. 

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Teaching

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• Provides teaching to patient and/or professionals about health care procedures and technologies in preparation for and following nursing or medical interventions.

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          This assignment led me to the Standards of Practice and Performance from the International Nurses Society on Addictions (IntSNA). As I created my project, I shared the guidance of the IntSNA and the SOP with the Director of Nursing (DON) at Boxwood detox for approval of using the information for education on the unit. After completing my work, the DON suggested I share it was the other nurses on staff. Many of my nursing colleagues focused on addressing serious dehydration, missing the signs and symptoms of mild fluid volume deficit. I shared the information from this teaching assignment with them. We discussed addressing the issue by simply having the patient consume the fluids in front of the them verifying the patient is drinking and documenting the observation. Several of them have started educating patients on proper hydration and using the handout I created once it was approved by the DON.

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• Provides relevant and sensitive health education information and counseling to patients, and families.

 

          I found during my nursing assessment, after vital signs were taken, was the best time to present patients with educational information. Many of my patients showed signs and symptoms of dehydration which made them more respective in the moment to receiving the information I presented because it related to their discomfort. The timing allowed the patient a choice in participating in the improvement of their own health and well-being by consuming more fluids, namely water. During medication administration I would encourage them to consume one more cup of water to improve hydration involving them in the process. It has become my mantra with all patients.

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• Uses information technologies to communicate health promotion, risk reduction, and disease prevention.

 

          This teaching project consists of a video You-tube presentation, written information, and an illustrated double-sided handout. The information communicates basic information concerning the signs and symptoms of fluid volume deficit/dehydration, the benefits of proper hydration, and how to attain that level of well-being. It is designed in an easy to follow creative and engaging format with the ultimate goal of encouraging the cognitive recognition of fluid volume deficit/dehydration within themselves then doing something about it by consuming more water.