Chapter 10: Teaching Patients and Their Families
Claywell: LPN to RN Transitions
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which fact would you select to describe the mandate by The Joint Commission regarding
educating patients? The training and education must be
a. specific to the assessed needs, interdisciplinary, and evaluated for effectiveness.
b. specific to the assessed needs, cost-effective, and focused.
c. based on the patient’s ability to learn, cost-effective, and timely.
d. specific to assessed needs, timely, and delivered by only one person for continuity.
ANS: A
The Joint Commission standards state, “The patient receives education and training specific to
the patient’s assessed needs, abilities, learning preferences, and readiness to learn as
appropriate to the care and services provided by the hospital.” The Joint Commission requires
patient education to be interdisciplinary, not delivered by only one person. Furthermore,
health care facilities must audit patient education to ensure consistency of teaching and that
the health care team members are evaluating the effectiveness of the patient education they
give. Cost-effectiveness and timeliness are not requirements of The Joint Commission.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application OBJ: Understand the requirements for patient education.
TOP: Patient Education MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
2. A nurse discusses home arrangements and safety factors related to emptying and changing the
patient’s new colostomy bag. TNhe patient has strong concerns about visibility of any stored
colostomy supplies. Which teaching-learning principle does this example demonstrate?
a. Using multiple teaching strategies to accommodate a variety of learning styles.
b. Increased effectiveness of teaching by involving the patient in the setting of
objectives.
c. Paying attention to the timing during the hospitalization and planned discharge
date when providing needed information.
d. Developing a strong nurse–patient relationship from the beginning of the contract
with the patient.
ANS: B
An informed patient is better able to manage health care, is more compliant with the plan of
care, and as a result, experiences more positive outcomes. Active learning facilitates the
learning process. A patient who is educated regarding his or her condition and plan of care is
less likely to refuse the plan of care in lieu of his or her own plan, less likely to complain more
when the plan is revised, and less likely to demand explanation for each intervention. The
other answer choices are also teaching-learning principles, but they are not reflected in the
scenario.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation OBJ: Understand the requirements for patient education.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
3. The nurse recognizes that new parents may be ready to learn about their newborn after the
birth. What understanding leads the nurse to this conclusion?
a. The baby will not be discharged until the parents have the training.
, b. The nurses on the mother–baby division do a better job of teaching baby care.
c. The parents now have the motivation to learn because the baby has been born.
d. The parents have no choice at this point.
ANS: C
The motivation to learn often results from a life-changing event, such as childbirth or illness.
The RN who recognizes the significance of the event can seize the opportunity to explore the
patient’s motivation to learn. The baby is not being discharged until the parents have training
is untrue. That the nurses on the mother–baby division do a better job of teaching baby care is
irrelevant. That the parents have no choice at this point is an opinion.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis
OBJ: Compare motivations, facilitators, and barriers to learning.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
4. A patient has been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The teaching begins in the hospital
with an interdisciplinary approach and continues with outpatient classes. However, the patient
continues to state, “I know I do not need to spend my time doing all this because I will be fine
once I get out from under all this stress.” The barrier to learning that the nurse recognizes and
must deal with is the
a. patient already knows all she needs to know, so more education is not necessary.
b. patient doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, so the circle will continue.
c. patient’s blood sugar is keeping her from thinking clearly, so it is too soon to try to
teach her.
d. patient is in denial and that will need to be dealt with before she will accept the
diagnosis and thus the education related to it.
ANS: D N
The patient is in denial of her new diagnosis. The RN must use rational thought and convey
that logic in the presentation of the facts. The patient must decide that the change is necessary.
The RN must understand the patient’s decision and show acceptance of it. The patient’s
already knowing all she needs to know so more education is unnecessary is incorrect based on
the patient’s statement. The patient’s not knowing what she does not know so the circle will
continue is irrelevant. That the patient’s blood sugar is keeping her from thinking clearly is a
presumption.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis
OBJ: Compare motivations, facilitators, and barriers to learning.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
5. The nurse recognizes that, for learning to be effective, the patient must first have his or her
basic and most immediate needs met. Which statement best indicates that the nurse clearly
understands this principle?
a. The nurse administers pain medication to the new diabetic patient before she starts
her teaching just in case the patient is in pain.
b. Thirty minutes before the planned teaching, the nurse assesses the patient for
comfort and ensures that the patient has eaten and had the opportunity to complete
his bath routine.
c. The nurse decides that conversation works best during a meal, so she plans to teach
while the patient eats.
d. The nurse asks the patient’s spouse to leave before beginning the teaching.
Claywell: LPN to RN Transitions
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which fact would you select to describe the mandate by The Joint Commission regarding
educating patients? The training and education must be
a. specific to the assessed needs, interdisciplinary, and evaluated for effectiveness.
b. specific to the assessed needs, cost-effective, and focused.
c. based on the patient’s ability to learn, cost-effective, and timely.
d. specific to assessed needs, timely, and delivered by only one person for continuity.
ANS: A
The Joint Commission standards state, “The patient receives education and training specific to
the patient’s assessed needs, abilities, learning preferences, and readiness to learn as
appropriate to the care and services provided by the hospital.” The Joint Commission requires
patient education to be interdisciplinary, not delivered by only one person. Furthermore,
health care facilities must audit patient education to ensure consistency of teaching and that
the health care team members are evaluating the effectiveness of the patient education they
give. Cost-effectiveness and timeliness are not requirements of The Joint Commission.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Application OBJ: Understand the requirements for patient education.
TOP: Patient Education MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
2. A nurse discusses home arrangements and safety factors related to emptying and changing the
patient’s new colostomy bag. TNhe patient has strong concerns about visibility of any stored
colostomy supplies. Which teaching-learning principle does this example demonstrate?
a. Using multiple teaching strategies to accommodate a variety of learning styles.
b. Increased effectiveness of teaching by involving the patient in the setting of
objectives.
c. Paying attention to the timing during the hospitalization and planned discharge
date when providing needed information.
d. Developing a strong nurse–patient relationship from the beginning of the contract
with the patient.
ANS: B
An informed patient is better able to manage health care, is more compliant with the plan of
care, and as a result, experiences more positive outcomes. Active learning facilitates the
learning process. A patient who is educated regarding his or her condition and plan of care is
less likely to refuse the plan of care in lieu of his or her own plan, less likely to complain more
when the plan is revised, and less likely to demand explanation for each intervention. The
other answer choices are also teaching-learning principles, but they are not reflected in the
scenario.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation OBJ: Understand the requirements for patient education.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
3. The nurse recognizes that new parents may be ready to learn about their newborn after the
birth. What understanding leads the nurse to this conclusion?
a. The baby will not be discharged until the parents have the training.
, b. The nurses on the mother–baby division do a better job of teaching baby care.
c. The parents now have the motivation to learn because the baby has been born.
d. The parents have no choice at this point.
ANS: C
The motivation to learn often results from a life-changing event, such as childbirth or illness.
The RN who recognizes the significance of the event can seize the opportunity to explore the
patient’s motivation to learn. The baby is not being discharged until the parents have training
is untrue. That the nurses on the mother–baby division do a better job of teaching baby care is
irrelevant. That the parents have no choice at this point is an opinion.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis
OBJ: Compare motivations, facilitators, and barriers to learning.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
4. A patient has been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The teaching begins in the hospital
with an interdisciplinary approach and continues with outpatient classes. However, the patient
continues to state, “I know I do not need to spend my time doing all this because I will be fine
once I get out from under all this stress.” The barrier to learning that the nurse recognizes and
must deal with is the
a. patient already knows all she needs to know, so more education is not necessary.
b. patient doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, so the circle will continue.
c. patient’s blood sugar is keeping her from thinking clearly, so it is too soon to try to
teach her.
d. patient is in denial and that will need to be dealt with before she will accept the
diagnosis and thus the education related to it.
ANS: D N
The patient is in denial of her new diagnosis. The RN must use rational thought and convey
that logic in the presentation of the facts. The patient must decide that the change is necessary.
The RN must understand the patient’s decision and show acceptance of it. The patient’s
already knowing all she needs to know so more education is unnecessary is incorrect based on
the patient’s statement. The patient’s not knowing what she does not know so the circle will
continue is irrelevant. That the patient’s blood sugar is keeping her from thinking clearly is a
presumption.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analysis
OBJ: Compare motivations, facilitators, and barriers to learning.
TOP: Patient Teaching MSC: NCLEX: Integrated Processes: Teaching/Learning
5. The nurse recognizes that, for learning to be effective, the patient must first have his or her
basic and most immediate needs met. Which statement best indicates that the nurse clearly
understands this principle?
a. The nurse administers pain medication to the new diabetic patient before she starts
her teaching just in case the patient is in pain.
b. Thirty minutes before the planned teaching, the nurse assesses the patient for
comfort and ensures that the patient has eaten and had the opportunity to complete
his bath routine.
c. The nurse decides that conversation works best during a meal, so she plans to teach
while the patient eats.
d. The nurse asks the patient’s spouse to leave before beginning the teaching.
