The purpose of the paper is to research, design, and demonstrate a teaching plan regarding a patient with a particular health condition or behavior. A detailed patient scenario is designed to display the health behavior of a patient who wants to achieve good health. A teaching plan that adopts a nurse’s assessment of learning needs and readiness to learn is designed for the patient. The plan includes using a reliable and accessible mHealth app to facilitate the process and benefit the patient.
Patient Scenario
The identified topic is connected to one of the health behaviors – sleep. The lack of sleep leads to serious health issues, such as heart disease, dementia, obesity, and others (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, n.d.). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 30% of all adults in the United States do not get enough sleep, raising the risks of mentioned problems and lowering their quality of life (n.d.).
John is a 22-years-old bachelor student who has chronic sleep deprivation and symptoms of insomnia. He combines his studies with an online part-time job and leads an active social life. As John started his final year in the university, he struggled more with his education. As a result, it became more difficult for John to manage his time and effort. Trying to keep his preferred lifestyle and still keep up with his studies, John started sleeping less. While during the regular part of the semester, John has opportunities to get enough sleep from time to time, mostly on weekends, he sleeps considerably less during the examination period.
Moreover, John started to notice that it has become more difficult for him to fall asleep, and it took more time for him to do so. Overall, John saw that sleep deprivation negatively affects his mood, productivity, and health – for instance, he believes that he started encountering cold symptoms more frequently than before. John’s lack of sleep and productivity may have produced further issues with his sleep and overall health. According to Magnavita and Garbarino, “sleep disturbances may be both the cause and the consequence of reduced wellbeing and may therefore set up a vicious circle” (2017, p.2).
From a nursing perspective, John’s learning should start with assessing his current knowledge about his problem. Secondly, John’s readiness to learn should be evaluated, as it determines the learning process, style, and strategy. Next, teaching plans and strategies should be developed based on the obtained knowledge. Finally, the learning process itself should be evaluated and adjusted constantly.
Patient Education/Teaching Plan
John should be taught about the importance of sleep and the adverse effects of sleep deprivation on a wide range of aspects of his life. The information should be given in small, manageable parts for him to understand. Based on that information, it is necessary to help John design a different schedule. Finally, his time management skills should be developed as a result of this intervention. This could be achieved by designing his new schedule and later assessing how he adapts to it.
Regarding John’s insomnia symptoms, firstly, he should know about insomnia and its causes and effects. Secondly, it is necessary to help John understand what can cause insomnia in his case; such factors as environment, uncomfortable schedule, and stress could be involved. Finally, it is necessary to develop a plan that excludes these factors from his life. Later, John’s sleep should be regularly assessed, as some adjustments to the plan may be necessary.
Description of mHealth app
The mHealth app that is to help the patient in the described scenario is called CBT-i Coach. The app helps people who want to “improve their sleep habits, those who experience symptoms of insomnia, and those who are engaged in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia” (US Department of Veterans Affairs, 2020). CBT-i Coach can help the patient obtain additional information about sleep, improve the environment and routines. CBT-i Coach can be downloaded on both Android and iOS using devices free. The link to the app (iOS version).
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep: A good night’s sleep is critical for good health.
Magnavita, N., & Garbarino, S. (2017). Sleep, health and wellness at work: A scoping review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(11).
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (n.d.). Sleep. Health.gov.
US Department of Veterans Affairs. (2020). CBT-i Coach (Version 2.5) [Mobile App]. App Store.