The RN to BSN program

Answer

 Teaching Experience

Introduction

The most important part of nursing practice is the linking of theory and practice. This involves the incorporation of non-traditional experiences, and encompasses indirect and direct care for practicing licensed nursing students. The learning context involves specific care disciplines, local communities, and hospital organizations. The non-traditional teaching experiences are key to enhancing efficient and effective clinical and classroom teaching approaches in nursing education. In this paper, the teaching experiences of practicing nursing students, the importance of effective learning, and expectations are described. These experiences are key to facilitating responsible clinical decision making in nursing practice which helps students to accomplish the required mission. Practicing nurses must, therefore, be adequately prepared to tackle the present challenges in healthcare (American Nurses Association, 2010). A summary of community response, the epidemiological rationale for the topic, teaching plan and evaluation of teaching experience is presented.

Summary of Teaching Plan

The teaching program was mainly based on healthy living practices that can be used to manage heart rate among the elderly. The audience was presented with the major causes of heart failure. Current statistics on the prevalence of heart failure, the reasons why the aging population is susceptible were also presented. We educated the audience on how to develop plans with nurses and therapeutic education. Most patients express their views that they would rather have community-based interventions than receiving treatment in hospitals. The audience were enlightened on healthy eating habits and following diets as directed by the physicians. The audience agreed that knowing the disease process could significantly reduce its prevalence in the community. I asked the patients about their views on heart failure and the necessary interventions that are being used to mitigate the spread.

Throughout the presentation, audio, oral, and video presentations were used to educate the audience. Video presentations were mostly used since they could enable the audience to recall what was presented. I also preferred video presentations since most of the audience was an aging population who would not have much interest to read the written notes. The audience proposed that this learning experience could only be effective if there was enough time to embrace information such as during home visits. This educational program also involved community matrons who also provided substantial information due to their long-term experiences. I asked for feedback from the audience about the presentation afterword and assured them that their responses will be kept confidential. Further, I told them that one was free to suggest any area that needs improvement.

 Throughout the session, I encouraged active participation from the audience. Being an aging population, most of the participants admitted that implementing the lifestyle practices would be difficult and challenging. Some suggested that following diet restriction may be difficult, which would make it difficult to manage one's self. Others could not admit that lifestyle is a major factor and attributed the chronic disorder to old age. I tried to identify potentially important issues to the audience and relayed that information effectively. I felt that it was also necessary to convey the information repeatedly even if the audience was knowledgeable about it. Emphasis was on the clinical stability of the patient specifically physical activities, monitoring weight, regular medication, fluid, and sodium restriction, monitoring the symptoms, and seeking early medication.

                Epidemiological Rationale for Topic

Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention indicate that heart disease is the most prevalent disease in the U.S. affecting nearly six million Americans and the cases increase on an annual basis (American Heart Association, 2018). The disease is also reported to be the major cause of hospitalization in the U.S. for patients in their sixties. It is estimated that nearly one million cases are diagnosed each year (Albert, 2016). However, a major concern is that discharged patients are likely to be readmitted (Gilotra et al., 2017). Medical expenses incurred on readmission are high, and this situation is likely to worsen in the future (American Heart Association, 2018). The number will supposedly increase and the prevalence is projected to surpass eight million in the next ten years with the majority of those affected being the elderly and the cost of treatment is expected to rise significantly. 

This increase in prevalence is attributed to cardiovascular disorders and myocardial infarction among the aging population, which forms a considerable portion of the population (American Heart Association, 2018). In this regard, quality care and reducing readmission due to heart failure must be prioritized (Giuliano et al., 2016). Promoting self-awareness by providing reliable information on healthy living practices can be an effective mitigation measure in reducing the prevalence. Certainly, a patient can manage a heart attack if he or she complies with medication, stick to a restricted diet, and has sufficient knowledge about conditions that exacerbate heart failure.

Evaluation of Teaching Experience

Most of the audience was reluctant to take part in physical exercises, citing their old age. But after showing them promising statistics on past studies that indicate the importance of physical exercises in previous clinical studies, they were very motivated. They found out that physical activities could make a patient clinically stable by playing a considerable therapeutic role. The participants did not necessarily have to engage in running exercises. They were willing to perform a routine home-based walking to reduce the psychological and physiological impacts of inactivity. They were also willing to gradually increase the walking distance with time. I advised the patients that it was important to observe signs of shortness of breath or fatigue in monitoring the symptoms. Most of the participants reported carrying out daily activities with little effort. Concerning sodium restrictions, most of the patients reported not adding salt to food already prepared for them. They also limited the intake of canned food which is always rich in sodium. The majority who were alcoholics had stopped drinking as a control measure.

Community Response to Teaching

The learning sessions were very enjoyable and interactive. The topic was very relevant to the audience and the majority were active throughout the lesson. Most of the audience anticipated the lessons to continue beyond the time that I had planned. This was contrary to my expectations as I thought the elderly audience would not be willing to concentrate for a longer period. I was amazed and pleased by the wonderful audience. The way they listened keenly and watched my video presentations was so encouraging. When I asked if the presentation was having any impact on them, most of them opined that they would prefer community-based interventions than having treatment in hospitals.

Almost all of the participants suggested having a schedule for physical exercises and following healthy eating habits to avoid the chances of having strokes. Those with strokes committed to daily morning home-based walks as most could not run due to old age. For those already affected by heart failure, their family members promised to help them stick to the recommendations from the lesson. When I heard this, I was all smiles knowing that the knowledge would impact someone's life positively. They did not hesitate. I received regular phone calls on the progress made by the participants on weight monitoring, sodium intake, and physical exercises. The feedback and impression I got encourage me to do more in future community-based interventions.

Areas of Strengths and Areas of Improvement

I believe that the lesson was a success based on the responses from participants. I successfully induced change in this elderly population, and they were able to implement the recommendations from the lesson. The audience actively participated in the discussions. By using video presentations, I aimed at reducing the content of written materials that could have taken a lot of time to read. Video presentations are also easier to recall. I recall one of the participants saying that their questions were answered to their satisfaction; and I was humbled to hear that. Those with some concerns that they could not comfortably raise in public contacted me in private just as I had told them. However, some were too slow to express their opinions or ask their questions. At one point, the participants had to cut short a patient who stammered due to their impatience. Controlling the group sometimes proved challenging; it is difficult to control adults sometimes, especially the elderly. This is an area where I still lack adequate experience.

Conclusion

In sum, embracing self-care education is one of the most effective ways of reducing the chances of getting heart failure. It is also an effective method for patients with heart failure and should be part of routine management practices. Following dietary restrictions, seeking early medication, and monitoring one's weight is key to preventing heart attack (Albert, 2016). Heart failure patients can adhere to these recommendations through educational practice by experienced caregivers.