What it means
It covers medicines, diet, activity limits, wound or device care, the warning signs to report and whom to call, and follow-up appointments. Good discharge planning starts at admission, not on the last day, and includes the people who will help at home.
For the nurse
Teach in short sessions, in the client's own language with a qualified interpreter if needed, and give written materials at a suitable reading level. Confirm understanding with teach-backTEECH-bakA way to check understanding by asking the client to explain, in their own words, what they have just been taught.Full entry and, for skills, a return demonstrationrih-TURN dem-un-STRAY-shunHaving a client or caregiver perform a skill they were just taught, while the nurse watches, to confirm they can do it correctly.Full entry .
Related terms
health literacy
A person's ability to find, understand and use health information to make decisions about their health.
teach-back
A way to check understanding by asking the client to explain, in their own words, what they have just been taught.
readiness to learn
How prepared a person is, in body and mind, to take in and use new information.
return demonstration
Having a client or caregiver perform a skill they were just taught, while the nurse watches, to confirm they can do it correctly.