Registered nurses (RNs) are natural teachers because an essential part of their job is to communicate with co-workers, patients and their family members. It is crucial that nurses continue to learn and stay up to date on new innovations in healthcare so they can provide the best information possible to their patients and fellow nurses.
How Are Nurses Teachers?
Nurses can fill the gaps in their knowledge through dialog and exchange. More experienced RNs often instruct, advise or mentor new nurse graduates. Nurses also educate patients about their health conditions and self-care.
Colleen Williams, an RN access manager at Conduit Health Partners, is an example of a nurse who teaches her nursing staff about best practices. Williams graduated from Northern Kentucky University’s online MSN with a Nursing Education Concentration program.
She credits the degree program at NKU with strengthening her planning, implementation, evaluation and education skills. Even though Williams is not a formal educator, she believes that quality nursing is supported by lifelong learning and evidence-based practice.
Williams supports nurses who remain inquisitive and ask why something is done a certain way. She acknowledges the importance of nurses networking and teaching each other. According to Williams, “You gain an insight and a view that you did not have before when you get perspectives from different people.”
RNs who work in hospital staff development also enroll in MSN Nurse Educator programs to educate their fellow nurses. They’re responsible for guiding and orienting new nurses at their facilities, ensuring the competency of experienced nurses, and updating other nurses on the latest best practices.
Why Is It Important for RNs to Teach New Nurses?
It is beneficial for RNs to share their expertise with co-workers. Nurses who have exceptional clinical, technological or communication skills can boost the efficiency of their unit, and an efficient unit benefits patients.
Staff RNs who have worked in nursing for many years can take opportunities to guide novice nurses who may require encouragement and assistance from co-workers. As new nurses increase their ability, they can pay it forward by passing on their newfound knowledge to other RNs starting out in the profession.
How Do Nurses Teach Patients?
Patients rely on nurses to educate them about their diagnoses and treatment options. But, nurses also instruct patients and their family members about medications, methods to manage their medical conditions and ways to maintain their well-being once they are sent home.
Like nurse educators, RNs use written and verbal resources to convey information. In addition, they may:
- Conduct motivational interviews
- Perform demonstrations
- Conduct teach-back or tell-back sessions after explaining a procedure to patients
- Identify teachable moments when interacting with patients
What Kind of Educator Roles Are Found in Nursing?
All RNs may inform patients about their health conditions but some educational responsibilities may be more specific depending on the field of nursing they practice. For example, a nurse’s teaching functions may include educating patients about:
- Childbirth
- Childcare
- First aid
- Lactation
- Long-term caregiving
- Nutrition
Nurses work as teachers every day in a variety of ways. They provide instructions for patients and family members and direct them to additional services they may need after discharge. And they build working relationships that foster a collaborative environment. It is essential for experienced RNs to reach out to younger nurses and teach them that it is acceptable to ask questions. Patient education and the sharing of knowledge among nurses can increase the rate of successful outcomes.
Learn more about NKU’s online Master of Science in Nursing – Nursing Education Concentration program.
Sources:
NKU: Teacher of Sorts Lands Nurse Colleen Williams Leadership Role
Lippincott Nursing Center: Patient-Education Tips for New Nurses
Nursing2019: Staff Nurses & Nursing Students: Learning From Each Other
Minority Nurse: 4 Ways to Share Your Nursing Knowledge
Chron: Role of Patient Teaching for the Professional Nurse
