“I have no time to educate my patients…” Do these words sound familiar? Does guilt hit you bad? Worry no more, you are not alone.

The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes has increased exponentially over the past 20 years. It is a chronic condition that affects all areas of a person’s life and that demands high quality care. Since the publication of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial in 1993, there has been growing consensus that diabetes education is a core component of quality health care for all people with diabetes.1 Numerous studies have been conducted to provide evidence of the positive effects of Diabetes Self Management Education (DSME) on the glycemic control of our patients.

Kanzer-Lewis2 addressed four critical issues why we must do patient education.

  • It is the legal thing to do – We would often hear stories of patients doing insulin injection on the same site every time that results to lipodystrophies and uncontrolled blood sugar levels. There are also patients who met an accident from hypoglycemia because they don’t know what hypoglycemia is and what to do with it. These and many other incidents can be prevented with proper diabetes education.
  • It is the moral thing to do – One of the most important roles of nurses is that of patient advocate, reflecting their ability to protect the interests of patients who cannot represent themselves because of illness or inadequate health knowledge. Our patients entrust themselves to us whom they didn’t know and it is our big responsibility not to betray that trust.
  • It is the ethical thing to do – Ethics are the guiding principles of human behavior. How do we behave with people? Do we see them important human beings who have needs and specific concerns? We cannot send our patients out of our care unprepared for diabetes self management.
  • It is the professional thing to do – The Article VI of our Philippine Nursing Act states that the registered nurse will provide health education to individuals, families and communities.2 Several studies have been published on how nurses on the diabetes team significantly improved some medical outcomes in patients with complicated diabetes.

Patient education need not to be cumbersome. Let us go back to our first statement “I have no time to educate my patients…” When time is limited, ask the patient his major complaints and needs. Develop a plan in conjunction with the patient and if possible, the significant other. Categorize these needs as needs to know, wants to know and nice to know.

The “needs to know” are the basic things a patient needs to know to go home safely. These include the four M’s: medication, meal planning, monitoring and motivation. The “wants to know” are the things that patients ask about. This is what they call the teachable moment. It is when the patient has an “Aha!” and “Ohh” as the result of an experience. When these occur, you have the best opportunity to get through them. They want to know something, so they have opened their minds to information and concepts. Lastly, there are the “nice to know“. These are things that may be interesting and fun but no one needs them to survive. These may be useless for our patients.3

Patient education can be a beautiful experience yet it can also take lots of energy and enthusiasm. It will be what you make it.

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1 New England Journal of Medicine 329:977-986, 1993
2 Philippine Nursing Law: Philippine Nursing Association website
3 Kanzer-Lewis, Ginger: Patient Education: You can do it! 2003