Patient Teaching plan - Research Paper Example

His current blood glucose level is 256mg/dl. Michael is scheduled for discharge tomorrow with a new insulin prescription. Assessment data indicating Learning Need Michael was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes (Diabetes Mellitus) 3 years ago which has been controlled using Glucotrol (oral medication). It has been established that he is grossly inexperienced when it comes to the self-administration of insulin. His nursing diagnosis would therefore be: insufficient knowledge related to unfamiliarity with Insulin and ways in which to self-administer it, as indicated by patient requesting and verbalizing that someone teach him how to take insulin (Ackley & Ladwig, 2010).

Objective of client teaching By the end of this teaching, the patient should be able to explain his diabetic medications, as well as describe the correct way of taking those medications. Assessment of the learner Michael is alert and oriented to time, place, person, and event. He is very frank, communicative and willing to share information pertaining to his personal life and health. He says that he never completed high school but received his GED recently. In the short time I shared with him, I saw him reading to his son, which is a sign that he is literate.

In addition to this, he is very informed about his medical condition and monitors his blood glucose daily. Owing to his obesity, Michael needs a walker to move around and says that he tires quite easily. His knowledge concerning the self-administration of Insulin is zero but he is highly motivated to learn. This is shown by his verbal request that someone teach him the skill. Specific learning objectives 1. (Cognitive) patient will have the ability to able to state the signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and what to do in each scenario. 2. (Affective) patient will have the ability to be able to state the advantages of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels and the significance of taking insulin in the prescribed manner. 3. (Psychomotor) patient will demonstrate/show the ability to self-administer Insulin without any assistance/prompts.

The teaching session is expected to last around 3 hours. The first hour will involve providing a brief outlook of what diabetes is and how to control it using insulin. I will begin with a basic outline of the pathophysiology of diabetes and the common signs and symptoms. I will then explain to Michael that when controlling his sickness his blood sugar can rise or drop. High blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) is brought about by eating a lot of food, consuming sugary foods, or by not following the prescribed methods of taking insulin.

Hyperglycaemia is characterized by frequent urination, fatigue, thirst, dry mouth, blurry vision, and weight loss. If left untreated, it can lead to a coma (Urden, Stacy & Lough, 2006). When you experience hyperglycaemia, take insulin as prescribed and drink water. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is caused by taking a lot of insulin, skipping meals or eating little food. Signs of hypoglycemia include confusion, headache, anxiety, dizziness, shaking, faster heartbeat, slow or slurred speech, sweating, and blurred vision.

In case of hypoglycemia, drink or eat something that contains fast-acting sugar. Examples include soda, honey, sugar, fruit juice, or candy bars (Aldridge,