NCM 102

HEALTH EDUCATION
OVERVIEW OF EDUCATION IN
HEALTH CARE
MARY ANTOINETTE B ASERON, RN MAN
CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR
What is HEALTH EDUCATION?

• Health Education is any combination of

learning experiences designed to help
individuals, families, and communities
improve their health, by increasing their
knowledge or influencing their attitudes knowledge
or influencing their attitudes.
Other Definitions of Health Education

“Health education is a profession of educating

people about health. Areas within this profession
encompass environmental health, physical health,
social health, emotional health, intellectual health,
and spiritual health, as well as sexual and spiritual
health, as well as sexual and
reproductive health education.
Health education can be defined as the principle by
which individuals and groups of people, learn to
behave in a manner conducive to the promotion,
maintenance, or restoration of health.
WHO’s Definition of Health Education

“comprising of consciously constructed

opportunities for learning involving some form of
communication designed to improve health
literacy, including improving knowledge, and
developing life skills which are conducive
todeveloping life skills which are conducive to
individual and community health.”
What is NURSING HEALTH EDUCATION?

• Nursing Health Education is the process of

educating the nursing professionals
regarding the care to be taken about the
patients, families or communities to
maintain or recover good health conditions.
 Historical Foundations of the Nurse

Educator Role

• Health education has long been considered a

standard care-giving role of the Nurse.
• Patient teaching is recognized as an
independent nurse function independent nurse function.
• Nurse practice has expanded to include
education in the broad concepts of health and
illness.
 Professional Nurse Educator Role

• Client/Family Educator: nurses provide

clients and their family with the
information and skills necessary to manage
their illness independently.

• Nursing includes teaching and educating

clients about their health and well-being

• Career Role: Nurse Educator

HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE TEACHING
ROLE OF NURSES
• The role of the nurse as educator is deeply
entrenched in the heritage and development
of the nursing profession.
• Since the mid-1800s, when nursing was first
acknowledged as a unique discipline, the
responsibility for teaching has been recognized as an important
healthcare initiative assumed
by nurses.
• The focus of teaching efforts by nurses was
not only on the care of the sick, but also on
educating other nurses for professional
practice.
SUMMARY POINTS:

• Nurses are considered information brokers—educators

who can make a significant difference.

• To be effective and efficient, nurses must be willing and

able to work collaboratively with willing and able to work
collaboratively with other members of the healthcare
team.

• The key to effective education for patients, families, and

nursing staff is the nurse’s understanding of and ongoing
commitment to the role of educator.