Nurses strive to harness the best interventions to improve the health outcomes of their patients. However, there are serious challenges that hamper their efforts. Low health literacy among patients is among these challenges. Basically, as will become clearer in a later section, health literacy is concerned with the skills and knowledge needed to make sense of health-related information. The importance of health literacy cannot be overstated. Among other things, this skill enables patients to follow medication directions and to express their concerns to nurses and other healthcare practitioners. Extensive studies have been performed with the goal of establishing the various issues that surround health literacy. Wittenberg, Ferrell, Kanter and Buller (2018) are among the scholars who have explored this skill. After conducting a study, they determined that nurses struggle to engage with patients with low literacy levels. This finding is worrying and underscores the need for nurses to recognize the importance of health literacy.
Summary
The purpose of the study that Wittenberg and her colleagues conducted was to highlight how nursing communication interacts with patient health literacy. Before outlining how they conducted the study and the results that they obtained, these researchers begin by highlighting the importance of health literacy. They argue that health literate patients are able to interact successfully with practitioners and to adhere fully to medication instructions. Additionally, according to these scholars, health literacy holds the key to tackling such challenges as medication errors and preventable hospitalizations. Next, Wittenberg et al. the researchers outline the procedure that they followed in conducting the research. They administered a questionnaire to a group of nurses who provided their thoughts regarding their comfort levels in dealing with patients with varying levels of health literacy. The results that the researchers obtained allowed them to understand that the nurses grapple with a wide range of challenges. These challenges include encounters with patients who are health illiterate and being unable to accommodate the religious beliefs of patients. Moreover, the nurses lacked the insight and skills that they needed to engage patients with emotional and psychological problems. Low income and English as a second language are other issues that the nurses identified as being problematic. Perhaps the most surprising finding that Wittenberg made is that experienced nurses experienced the most difficulty. To explain this observation, these researchers argue that experienced nurses exhibit diminished principle thinking and this adversely affects their relationships with patients. As they conclude, Wittenberg et al. issue a number of proposals which include nurses using plain language and working with the assumption that all the patients that they encounter require help with health literacy.
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Relevance
One of the reasons for selecting the article by Wittenberg et al. is that it was highly relevant to the issues examined in class. Communication in nursing practice is among the issues. The class has made it clear that in order to be effective in the execution of their mandate, nurses need to be competent communicators. Additionally, communication is vital as it creates opportunities for nurses to gain deeper insights into the concerns, needs and fears of their patients. The article directly addresses communication in nursing contexts. As stated above, this article highlights the vital role that health literacy plays in promoting effective communication between nurses and their patients. When both nurses and their patients are health literate, they are able to exchange information in a way that promotes patient outcomes. The article also identified the challenges that hinder proper communication. For example, poor patients with low education levels present a challenge to nurses. Wittenberg et al. observed that it is extremely difficult for nurses to deliver support to this group of patients. Since it explores the communication challenges that nurses and patients encounter, the article is undoubtedly relevant to the class.
Significance
In addition to being relevant to the class, the article by Wittenberg and her follow researchers is related to myself and my nursing practice. At a personal level, I have had difficulties communicating with individuals who are different. I find it difficult to match my communication style to their education levels. The article has challenged me to understand that I should ensure that the communication approach that I adopt accounts for the education and literacy levels of my audience. It would be unwise to use complex jargon when speaking with people who are not highly educated. The article is also relevant because it presents insights that I could harness to enhance my nursing practice. This article makes it clear that health literacy is an essential skill for both nurses and patients. Furthermore, it highlights the hardships that nurses encounter. By addressing these issues, the article has made it possible for me to be wary of some of the pitfalls that erode the quality of care that I can deliver. I will endeavor to deliver health literacy support to all of my patients. I also vow to approach all my patients with caution and respect, understanding that my assumptions about my patients may be incorrect. Thanks to the article, I am also determined to reflect on my communication approaches with the aim of establishing their effectiveness. In conclusion, engaging with the article has provided me with a new perspective regarding the vital role that health literacy plays in nursing practice.
References
Wittenberg, E., Ferrell, B., Kanter, E., & Buller, H. (2018). Health literacy: exploring nursing challenges to providing support and understanding. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 22 (1), 53-61.
