Patient Educator

Responsibilities

• Appropriately selects and performs patient education activities related to disease management/streamline processes and coordinates all course work
• Affirms patient and family educational level, age, culture, language, length of stay LOs, motivation, and readiness to learn; religious practices; physical and emotional limits. Individualizes teaching to ability of patient and family to comprehend and implement education.
• Plans, implements and evaluates patient education activities in timely, efficient manner. Teaches patient/families about disease process, symptoms, medications, risk factors and management and home activity instructions. This is accomplished in the classroom, at the bedside, while ambulating and/or in one-on-one consulting sessions.
• Provides appropriate educational materials for all patients in assigned areas and an ongoing educational plan for staff nurses to encourage educational documentation and staff participation in patient education.
• Promotes continuity between in-patient and out-patient activities in facilitating rehabilitation referral process to out-patient programs
• Initiates seamless referral system to all out-patient programs, including assessment, significant diagnostic test information and treatment, physician referral when appropriate to decrease delays in program entrance.
• Acts as member of multidisciplinary team for in-patient program. Gathers information from medical record, computer, observation, interviews, and staff rounds to promote seamless referral system.
• Provides alternative method for communication and counseling for patients unwilling or unable to participate in Phase II Cardiac Rehab program to encourage symptom recognition and behavioral modification for risk factor modification.
• Performs follow-up phone calls to discharged patients to assess compliance and needs for education and activity at home.
• Assesses functional health status, performing initial assessment and symptoms management. Assesses, facilitates and documents patient activity as indicated by department guidelines for care.
• Enhances patient and family satisfaction by acting as patient advocate.
• Ensures proper nursing documentation and maintenance of patient records, including patient charges and maintenance of appropriate data/stats.

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree
• RN - Registered Nurse - Ohio Board of Nursing
• Current Registered Nurse license from the State of Ohio and/or Current Registered Nurse license in good standing with a multi-state compact state.
• Field of Study: Nursing
• Years of Experience: 2
• Work Shift: Day
• Scheduled Weekly Hours: 32
• Department: Nutrition Services Clinical