CONCEPTS OF

EDUCATION ON
HEALTH CARE
 A. OVERVIEW OF EDUCATION ON HEALTH CARE

HEALTH EDUCATION IS A PROCESS CONCERNEC WITH DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND

EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ENABLE FAMILIES, GROUPS, ORGANISATIONS
AND COMMUNITIES TO PLAY ACTIVE ROLES IN ACHIEVING, PROTECTING AND SUSTAINING
HEALTH.

HEALTH EDUCATION IS ALSO DEFINED AS “ANY COMBINATION OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES

DESIGNED TO FACILITATE VOLUNTARY ADAPTATION OF BEHAVIOR CONWDUCIVE TO HEALTH.
ITS PURPOSE IS TO CONTRIBUTE TO HEALTH AND WELL-BEING BY PROMOTING LIFESTYLES,
COMMUNITY ACTIONS AND CONDITIONS THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO LIVE HEALTHFUL LIVES”.

EDUCATION FOR HEALTH BEGINS WITH PEOPLE. IT HOPES TO MOTIVATE THEM WHICH
WHATEVER INTERESTS THEY MAY HAVE IN IMPROVING THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS. ITS AIM IS
TO DEVELOP IN THEM A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR HEALTH CONDITIONS FOR THEMSELVES
AS INDIVIDUALS, AS MEMBERS OF FAMILIES, AND AS COMMUNITIES.
 B. CONCEPTS OF TEACHING, LEARNING, EDUCATION PROCESS

THE EDUCATION PROCESS- IS A SYSTEMATIC, SEQUENTIAL,

PLANNED COURSE OF ACTION WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING AS
ITS TWO MAJOR INTERDEPENDENT FUNCTIONS AND THE TEACHER
AND LEARNER AS THE KEY PLAYERS INVOLVED.

TEACHING- IS A DELIBERATE INTERVENTION INVOLVING THE

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
AND EXPERIENCES TO MEET THE INTENDED LEARNER OUTCOMES
BASED ON THE TEACHING PLAN.
INSTRUCTION- IS JUST ONE ASPECT OF TEACHING WHICH INVOLVES COMMUNICATING
INFORMATION ABOUT A SPECIFIC SKILL (COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE OR PSYCHOMOTOR). IT IS
SOMETIMES USED INTERCHANGEABLY WITH TEACHING.
LEARNING- IS A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOR (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES) THAT CAN
OCCUR AT ANY TIME OR IN ANY PLACE AS A RESULT OF EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL
STIMULI.
LEARNING- IS AN ACTION BY WHICH KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES ARE
CONSCIOUSLY OR UNCONSCIOUSLY ACQUIRED AND BEHAVIOR IS ALTERED WHICN CAN BE
SEEN OR OBSERVED.
PADENT EDUCATION- A PROCESS OF ASSISTING PEOPLE TO LEARN HEALTH-RELATED
BEHAVIORS(KNOWLEDGE, SKLLS,ATTITUDES,VALUES)WHICH CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO
THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.
STAFF EDUCATION- AMIDST ALL THESE MANDATES AND REQUIREMENTS THAT THE NURSE AS
A HEALTH EDUCATOR FACES IS THE NEED TO BE KOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE PRINCIPLES OF
TEACHING AND LEARNING. INSTEAD OF THE “TEACHER TEACHING”, THE PARADIGM HAS
SHIFTED TO FOCUS ON THE “LEARNER LEARNING”. HENCE, THE NURSE NEEDS TO KNOW NOT
ONLY THE SUBJECT MATTER BUT ALSO HER ROLE IS THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS AND
THE NATURE OF THE LEARNER.
 THE THREE PILLARS OF THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS ARE
THE:
1. TEACHER;
2. LEARNER; AND,
3. SUBJECT MATTER.

EACH COMPONENT HAS ITS OWN CONTRIBUTION TO THE WHOLE

PROCESS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING. STUDIES HAVE SHOWN
THAT:
A. THE VITAL ROLE OF THE TEACHER IS MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO
LEARN
B. AND INSPIRING THEN TO GET OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONES, TO
STRETCH AND DEVELOP THE 98% PORTION OF THEIR BRAIN
WHICH IS STILL UNTAPPED AND UNUSED.
C. COMPARISON OF THE NURSING PROCESSAND THE EDUCATION
PROCESS SIMILARITIES

1. BOTH CONSIST OF THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF ASSESSMENT,

PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION;
2. THEY ARE LOGICAL, SCIENTIFICALLY-BASED FRAMEWORKS FOR
NURSING PROCESSES PROVIDING FOR A RATIONAL BASIS FOR
NURSING PRACTICE RATHER THAN AS INTIUTIVE ONE;
3. BOTH ARE METHODS FOR MONITORING AND JUDGING THE
OVERALL EQUALITY OR NURSING INTERVENTIONS BASEDON
OBJECTIVE DATA AND SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA.
  DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NURSING PROCESS AND EDUCATION
PROCESS

1. NURSING PROCESS FOCUSES ON PLANNING AND

IMPLEMENTATIONS OF CARE BASED ON ASSESSMENT AND
DIAGNOSIS OF THE PATIENT’S PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
NEEDS WHILE THE
2. EDUCATION PROCESS IDENTIFIES INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT AND
METHODS BASED ON AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CLIENT’S LEARNING
NEEDS, READINESS TO LEARN AND LEARNING STYLES;
3. BASES OF OUTCOMES:
• NURSING PROCESS: WHEN THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOSOCIAL
NEEDS OF THE CLIENT ARE MET
• EDUCATION PROCESS: WHEN CHANGES IN KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES
AND SKILLS OCCUR.
ACCORDING TO WAGNER AND
ASH (1998)
THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR IS NOT
“
PRIMARILY TO TEACH, BUT TO PROMOTE
LEARNING AND TO PROVIDE FOR AN
ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING,
TO CREATE THE TEACHABLE MOMENT
RATHER THAN LUST WAITINGFOR IT TO
HAPPEN”
 ASSURE MODEL AS EDUCATION PROCESS PARADIGM
THE ASSURE MODEL IS A GUIDE TO ASSIST TEACHERS IN MAKING
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS. IT IS AN ACRONYM WHICH STANDS
FOR:
A- ANALYSE THE LEARNER; IDENTIFY WHO YOUR LEARNERS ARE
BASED ON:
1. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS LIKE AGE, HIGHEST EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT OR GRADE
LEVEL, SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS, ETHNICITY AND CULTURE;
2. SPECIFIC LEARNER COMPETENCIES LIKE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTITUDES
REGARDING THE TOPIC;
a. INFORMATION-PROCESSING HABITS LIKE ANALYTICAL/ GLOBAL,FOCUSED/NON-
FOCUSED,TOLERANT/INTOLERANT OF INCONGRUITIES
b. MOTIVATIONAL FACTORS: ATTENTION SPAN, FACTORS WHICH MAY INTERFERE WITH
LEARNING LIKE ANXIETY,DEPRESSION, ETC..
3. LEARNING STYLES WHICH REFER TO PERCEPTUAL PREFERENCES AND STREGTHS LIKE
VISUAL, AUDITORY, TACTILE AND KINESTHETIC

S- STATE THE OBJECTIVES USING SMART (specific, measurable, attainable,

realistic and time-bound) BASED ON THE COURSE SYLLABUS
a. SELECTING THE AVAILABLE MATERIALS
b. MODIFYING EXISTING MATERIALS
c. DESIGNING, REVIVING OR MAKING NEW MATERIALS

U- USE THE MATERIALS AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA BY:

d. REVIEWING THE MATERIALS AND MAXIMIZING THE USE OF THE MATERIALS
e. PRACTICING THE USE OF THE MATERIALS AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA
f. PREPARING THE CLASSROOM, EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
g. PRESENTING THE MATERIALS THE MATERIALS USING YOUR SKILLS AND TEACHING STYLES
R- REQUIRE LEARNER PARTICIPATION BY PREPARING ACTIVITIES
THAT WILL ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO RESPOND AND ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATE; THE TEACHER SHOULD GIVE APPROPRIATE FEEDBACK
TO THE STUDENT’S RESPONSES.

E- EVALUATE AND REVISE… TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVELY OF THE

PRESENTATION, THE FOLLOWING QUESTION MAY BE ASKED:
WAS THE VISUAL MATERIAL ABLE TO HELP ME MAKE A CLEAR,
COHERENT ANF THE INTERESTING PRESENTATION?
WAS IT ABLE TO HELP ME MEE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON?
WAS IT ABLE TO HELP LEARNERS/TRAINESS MEET THE OBJECTIVES
OF THE LESSON?
 LUKER & CARESS (1989)- ARTICLE ON “ RETHINKING PATIENT EDUCATION”, SUGGESTED THAT
IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT EVERY NURSE TO TEACH WHEN THER HAVE ONLY BAD
BASIC NURSING EDUCATION.
THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATION FOR NURSE EDUCATORS SHOULD BE A
BSN DEGREE AND IDEALLY THE EDUCATOR’S ROLE BE DELEGATED TO NURSES WITH
MATTER’S DEGREE(ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSES LIKE CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS AND
NURSE PRACTITIONERS). THE ROLE OF EDUCATORS IS NOT PRIMARILY TO TEACH, BUT TO:
• PROMOTE LEARNING
• PROVIDE FOR AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO LEARNING--- TO CREATE A TEACHABLE
MOMENT RATHER THAN JUST WAITING FOR IT TO HAPPEN(WAGNER & ASH, 1998).

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN:

a. PATIENT TEACHING- IMPLIES A DIDACTIV INFORMATION- GIVING APPROACH.
b. PATIENT EDUCATION- IMPLIES SOMETHING MORE COMPREHENSI
 D. HISTORICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE TEACING ROLE OF
NURSES

THE TEACHING FUNCTION WILL ALWAYS BE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE DUTIES OF A

PROFESSIONAL NURSE. THIS DATES BACK TO THE TIME WHEN NURSING WAS GIVEN
RECOGNITION AS A DISCIPLINE IN THE 1800’S. THIS WAS REGARDED AS THE PERIOD OF
EDUCATED NURSING.

NIGHTINGALE TAUGHT NURSES, PHYSICIANS AND OTHER HEALTH OFFICIALS ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF CLEAN, WELL-VENTILATED AND WELL-LIT ENVIRONMENT IN THE HOSPITAL
AND AT HOME IN ASSISTING THE PATIENTS TO GET WELL AND IMPROVE THEIR SENS OF WELL-
BEING.