Describe your key point and discuss how the knowledge of your chosen key point impacts the care you provide as an LPN/LVN?
Documentation is essential for ethical, effective, and safe nursing practice. Essentially, documentation (electronic, paper, visual or audio) serves as evidence of services or care provided (Williams, 2009). Documentation enables a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to have accurate surveillance of the progress of a patient and to accurately communicate with other healthcare providers. In nursing practice, documentation is essential for proper decision-making regarding the future treatment, care regimen, and continuity of care. Ideally, a licensed practical nurse is expected to conduct proper documentation as part of meeting the prescribed nursing standards and as per the existing laws, regulations, legislations, and employer policies. Regardless of the nature, type, or technology utilized, quality nursing documentation is vital in every practice. LPNs have the responsibility of documenting enough client or patient information that is essential for the maintenance of care continuity. A clear, accurate, and concise documentation is essential for continuity of care (Eggland, 1994). Such documentation should be able to provide a comprehensive account of the patient’s experience.
Patient Education: Rendering patient information that helps them achieve self-care is one of the goals of nursing. It is a process that requires and involves continued patient education (Lyons, 2011). Registered Nurses are expected to engage in informal and formal patient education. A patient-centric and empowering approach plays a significant role in helping clients to self-manage their health conditions and fosters adherence to treatments regimes (Falvo, 2010). Furthermore, patient-education is an important component of self-management. Its main objective is to empower the patients and equip them with relevant skills and knowledge that they need for managing their health conditions. Patient education may be limited to learning technical skills and provision of information or it can be specific to addressing issues regarding the adherence to a treatment regimen. According to Bastable (2005), the education can be used as an instrument of encouraging behaviour change.
References
Bastable, B. (2005). Essentials of Patient Education. Connecticut: Greenwood, Press.
Eggland, T. (1994). Nursing Documentation: Charting, Recording, and Reporting. Cornwall: Polity Press.
Falvo, D. (2010). Effective Patient Education: A Guide to Increased Adherence. New York: Random House, Press.
Lyons, B. (2011). Patient Education: A Practical Approach. Oxford: Oxford University, Press.
Williams, L. (2009).Chart Smart: The A-to-Z Guide to Better Nursing Documentation. Berkeley, CA: University of California, Press.
