Introducing Nurse-Led Patient Education Visits: Empowering Patients and Elevating Nursing Practice.

Abstract

The literature includes multiple descriptions of successful nurse-led interventions, but the effects of nurse-led education on nurse and patient satisfaction in an executive health program are unknown. Nursing staff desire to practice more fully within their scope of licensure. Increased practice demands raised questions about whether nurse-led education would improve staff and patient satisfaction. A structured quality improvement process was used to design a nurse-led patient education program. Pilot measures included 5-point Likert scale patient and staff satisfaction surveys. Nurse burnout was also measured before and after the pilot. Patient satisfaction was high; 96% reported favorable satisfaction during the pilot, with sustained results over the following 3 years. Nurses' sense of achievement improved by 12 percentage points, and perception of making good use of skills and abilities increased by 39 percentage points. A nurse-led patient education intervention contributed to improved staff satisfaction while sustaining a positive patient experience.