So, let's get down to bidness... Improving Patient Education – A Proposal from the Patient Education Working Group
Executive Summary
Monthly patient satisfaction surveys demonstrate that patient education is the consistently lowest measure of our unit's clinical effectiveness. Survey respondents are not satisfied with either the time we spend discussing information that is important to them, or with the quality of the information we provide.
Education and teaching have long been recognized as vital components of the nursing process. The central role of nurses in providing patient education is especially important in a busy acute care setting like ours, where we have many opportunities for planned as well as spontaneous teaching in the course of delivering patient care each day.
The Patient Education Working Group has developed this proposal because our patients depend on us for timely and reliable health information. This proposal details one of the methods that will help us meet our responsibility more effectively – a dedicated patient education resource center (the Center).
We propose to house the Center in an existing space that is grossly underutilized, the 9CD storage closet off the main corridor. The 9CD storage closet has almost 300 square feet of well-lighted space that includes functioning grounded electrical outlets and a large screened window overlooking the Prouty Gardens, but it is currently used only to store six pieces of outdated equipment that can no longer be safely used for its original purpose.
We propose to renovate and equip the Center with computers and associated devices to support research and individual/group teaching, as well as with a selection of software, books, and other printed materials specifically chosen to address the health issues that have been identified as most important by our patients and staff.
The initial equipment costs for the Center are $17,000. Once the outdated equipment has been removed by the appropriate hospital personnel, the 9CD storage closet space will be cleaned and refurbished at no cost by volunteer members of the unit's staff – that is how strongly we all believe in this endeavor.
The Patient Education Working Group has also identified members who are qualified to conduct initial training sessions, both on the basis of their work experience and academic preparation, to help remaining nursing staff become more skilled and confident providing individual and group education to patients and families at the Center, and to assess the Center's ongoing effectiveness.
The Center will be open at designated times under the supervision of a staff nurse who is already scheduled to work on the unit, and who has undergone the initial training. That nurse's patient assignment will be covered by co-workers – again indicating our shared belief in the importance of this project.
We do not propose to use the Center's patient education activities to generate any revenue to offset costs at this time. The Center may serve as a venue for professional education that could generate revenue at some future date, though that activity is not directly addressed in this proposal.
What's the problem?
Quite bluntly, the problem is that our patients say we're doing a lousy job teaching them. The following chart shows that the percentage of patients who say they're satisfied with the time we spend providing them with health information, and with the quality of the information we provide, ranked at or below 65% for 9 of the 12 months surveyed most recently.
Our Department's goal, as stated by Jane Hamsher, RN, Senior Vice President for Nursing and Patient Care Services, is “to exceed 95% patient satisfaction in all categories, each and every month.”It's important to note that for the month of June, when we came closest to meeting that goal with a patient satisfaction score of 84.4%, a member of the Patient Education Working Group brought her personal laptop computer onto the unit for the specific purpose of using it as a tool to conduct individual and group sessions for patients and families on three selected topics:
- Managing multiple medications at home
- The most common post-surgical problems, and how you can cope with them
- Using relaxation techniques to help manage your pain
“Thank you for taking the time to make sure that my husband and I both understood his medications, and for giving us a specific way to organize them. I was very nervous about the thought of him coming home, and me not being able to make sure that he took them on time. God bless you.”
“I was very afraid that I would not be able to manage my pain at home, and that I would end up being 'zonked out' on too many medications. Now I know how to help myself relax with some simple techniques, and that will help me a lot. Thanks!”
“You nurses are terrific. Nobody every talked to me before in a language that I could understand, or took the time to answer my questions, but you sure did. I feel much more comfortable about going home now.”
We believe that our experience with that simple pilot project supports the value of the Center we have proposed.
What will we do, and how?
When this proposal is accepted and approved, the following actions will take place:
- Hospital maintenance staff will remove outdated equipment from 9CD storage closet
- Volunteer nursing staff will clean, paint, decorate, and furnish the vacant space with donated materials and items, at no cost to the hospital or department
- Designated members of the Patient Education Working Group will work with the hospital's Purchasing and Materials Management Department to acquire the approved computer equipment and other budgeted items
- Volunteer nursing staff will complete the Center's set-up
- Open for business!
How long will this project take?
We anticipate that all of the steps identified above can be completed within four (4) weeks of final approval.
What will this project cost?
The only direct dollar costs are those associated with acquiring computer hardware and associated equipment, along with selected educational software and printed materials, as follows:
As noted previously, with the exception of the removal of outdated equipment by personnel from the hospital's Maintenance Department, all other costs will be borne by volunteers who have agreed to donate their time, materials, and furnishings.
The cost to staff the Center will be covered within the unit's existing payroll budget, without the need for additional nursing personnel or allocated hours.
How will we measure our success?
Our goal is simple – to exceed 95% patient satisfaction in the category of patient education within 4 months of opening the Center, the goal articulated for our Nursing Department by Ms. Hamsher.
Attachments
- Excel worksheets with proposed project budget and patient satisfaction scores
- PowerPoint Presentation for the Nursing Department's Executive Committee
Have I said how much I hate PowerPoint?
