PATIENT AND FAMILY EDUCATION NURSE
Purpose:
In line with our hospital’s mission, vision, and procedures, the aim is to meet the educational and counseling needs of pediatric and adult patients with heart disease and their families; to ensure holistic and continuous care; to play an active role in improving patients’ self-care abilities, shortening hospital stays, reducing readmissions to relevant clinics, increasing patient satisfaction, and supporting cardiac rehabilitation.
Before providing education, any barriers to learning are identified. Interpreter support is obtained for patients with language barriers, and sign language is used for patients with hearing impairments.
The Patient and Family Education Nurse visits pediatric patients before surgery and before angiography/EPS (electrophysiological study), and adult patients before surgery, providing education about the process and helping to reduce patient and family anxiety. Daily rounds are conducted in relevant clinics. Discharge education is provided according to the patient’s diagnosis, treatment plan, and individual needs, and the effectiveness of the education is evaluated afterward.
A holistic approach is adopted, with collaboration among physicians, dietitians, physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers.
Education Topics Provided to Patients and Families:
Introduction to the ward/room, patient safety, patient rights and responsibilities
Disease/treatment process and risk factors
Management of systemic diseases
Pain management
Infection control and hygiene (hand hygiene, bathing, oral care, etc.)
Rational drug use and safe use of sodium warfarin tablets (Coumadin)
Obesity
Harms of smoking / smoking cessation
Organ donation
Safe use of medical equipment
Nutrition (heart-healthy diet, diabetic diet, breastfeeding, introduction of complementary foods for pediatric patients after 6 months, etc.)
Dressing/wound care
Activity (mobilization/positioning, exercise/cardiac rehabilitation, breathing exercises, return to work, return to school, sexual activity, practicing religious duties, etc.)
Ward process before/after cardiac and vascular surgeries and interventional cardiology procedures
Precautions for patients with pacemakers
Vaccination recommendations for children with heart disease
Basic life support training for families, based on physician orders
In 2014, our hospital opened its first Heart Health School to promote healthy hearts and participated in the Patient School Project under the Istanbul Provincial Health Directorate.
Our Patient and Family Education Guides are available on our hospital’s website under the “Health Corner” section.