A patient is diagnosed with heart failure after being admitted to ...

[amal]

A patient is diagnosed with heart failure after being admitted to the hospital for shortness of breath and fatigue. Which teaching strategy, if implemented by the nurse, is most likely to be effective?
 
  a. Assure the patient that the nurse is an expert on management of heart failure.
  b. Teach the patient at each meal about the amounts of sodium in various foods.
  c. Discuss the importance of medication control in maintenance of long-term health.
  d. Refer the patient to a home health nurse for instructions on diet and fluid restrictions.

Question 2

After the nurse provides dietary instructions for a patient with diabetes, the patient can explain the information but fails to make the recommended dietary changes. How would the nurse evaluate the patient's situation?
 
  a. Learning did not occur because the patient's behavior did not change.
  b. Choosing not to follow the diet is the behavior that resulted from learning.
  c. The nursing responsibility for helping the patient make dietary changes has been fulfilled.
  d. The teaching methods were ineffective in helping the patient learn the dietary instructions.

[cupcake16]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: B
Principles of adult education indicate that readiness and motivation to learn are high when facing new tasks (such as learning about the sodium amounts in various food items) and when demonstration and practice of skills are available. Although a home health referral may be needed for this patient, teaching should not be postponed until discharge. Adult learners are independent. The nurse should act as a facilitator for learning, rather than as the expert. Adults learn best when the topic is of immediate usefulness. Long-term goals may not be very motivating.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Although the patient behavior has not changed, the patient's ability to explain the information indicates that learning has occurred and the patient is choosing at this time not to change the diet. The patient may be in the contemplation or preparation stage in the Transtheoretical Model. The nurse should reinforce the need for change and continue to provide information and assistance with planning for change.