People are said to have proficient health literacy, knowledge and skills when they fully understand the underlying principles of health and wellbeing. Complications such as diseases, care procedures, and bodily functions are common terms that should be understood. To ensure that patients are aware of their health issues, everyone including the nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel play an important role. This information enhances health literacy and promotes patient wellbeing. Nursing is inclusive of patient care, wellness promotion, disease prevention, and the provision of care to every patient, regardless of their age, group and community.
Health literacy is an important competence that nurses who care for different patient populations can offer. In this blog we shall discuss how nurses can enhance health literacy and learn about the importance of health literacy in nursing.
What is the importance of Health Literacy?
The key component of health literacy in nursing is understanding the social and cognitive abilities that support and preserve good health. You must be able to make decisions and take action to acquire, comprehend, and use knowledge in ways that promote and preserve good health. Maintaining high standards for health literacy is important since poor health literacy raises a person's chance of developing subsequent problems.
- Not receiving treatment in a timely manner, which may eventually cause suffering.
- Inappropriate medicine administration or other potentially harmful errors.
- Enduring treatment outcomes that can be inferior to those people with higher levels of health literacy
- Requiring more medical care and other services than people who have strong health literacy.
Nurses should nurture health literacy as it is an important social aspect that affects health outcomes. Nurses learn to empower and engage patients as soon as they finish their nursing school. By adopting health information, this can retrieve health services and allow consumers to make educated decisions.
What role do nurses play in health literacy?
Healthcare workers, such as nurses and nurse managers, should educate patients on preventative healthcare practices and procedures to promote effective health literacy. Understanding healthcare procedures can aid in the treatment of medical issues. The following techniques can be applied by nursing staff to raise patient groups' levels of health literacy
Making interpersonal communication effective
For the provision of safe and high-quality healthcare, it is important that healthcare personnel maintain effective and safe interpersonal communication. Unfavourable incidents and concerns regarding healthcare are attributed in large part to ineffective communication. This is the reason why students who are enrolled in nursing courses should be trained to communicate, organise, present and communicate information to patients.
Creating a friendly environment
A common obstacle to maintaining high levels of health literacy is mistrust of medical professionals. For a variety of reasons, patients can experience communication difficulties while discussing medical issues with nurses or doctors. Examples of such obstacles include differences in language and culture as well as a general dislike. Healthcare workers shouldn't appear dismissive, rude or direct. Creating a pleasant environment for patients is a practical way to address the discrepancy in health literacy. Nurses can foster this atmosphere by emphasising effective communication techniques, smiling when they meet patients, and maintaining eye contact throughout conversations. Patients are more likely to make inquiries and glean useful information when they are made to feel comfortable and happy when they are being listened to. Health professionals can enquire with the patients whether they need additional information or have any further questions.
Creating powerful community links
Nursing is accountable for going beyond standard medical care to guarantee high levels of health literacy. In essence, this means that nursing practitioners should collaborate with neighbourhood community organisations to disseminate crucial healthcare information. Information might be provided in the form of reminders to be immunised, efforts to enhance illness screening, or suggestions for eating healthily and exercising regularly. Nurses can work with local organisations to ensure that health literacy skills are fostered. To ensure that all patients receive the right care and necessary therapies, they can also effectively collaborate with the local community.
Conclusion
Nursing staff members put up a lot of effort to raise patient healthcare literacy levels and adopt practical methods for making wise decisions that enhance patient care. They value the ability to treat underrepresented patient populations, efficiently convey health information, and enhance therapeutic results. If you decide to pursue nursing education, one of your primary duties as a nurse would be to inform patients and make sure they comprehend health literacy, appropriate treatment and care.
MWT Education Consultancy has been inspiring thousands of candidates to achieve their dreams of an international education and career. As a prominent international educational consultancy in India, we offer exceptional consultation and education services in healthcare and nursing.Contact our counsellors who can assist you with all the information you may need regarding your nursing career.
