Respond to the two discussion posts below as if you were in class responding to your colleagues. Each part requires a 200 word response.
Part 1.Every human being experiences the world in their own unique ways. With this also comes the differences in how they learn the best. When it comes to learning, everyone is different. Everyone’s brain learns new or old information in different ways. Learning can be difficult for some and come very naturally to others. Therefore, it is very important to figure out, learn, and understand the way your audience learns. Especially in health care, patient teaching is one of the major roles of a nurse. Understanding these differences in learning styles can dramatically affect the way nurses teach their patients and how they relay the information. Without understanding this inconsistency in learning styles, nurses can end up with patients that do not understand the important and crucial health information, and this can negatively impact their wellbeing. All of this can happen simple because the patient’s own unique learning style was not utilized. When it comes to hospital setting and patient teaching in clinics, it is easier to assess the learning style of your patients because it is one on one.
There are many ways to teach healthcare information to patients; some learn by demonstration, some learn by talking about the topic, or others learn by reading about the research on the topic, or even by walking and listening to the information. However, it can become a little complicated when it comes to a group setting to assess everyone’s learning styles. According to Elrick, there are 4 types of learning styles that most learners affiliate with and these are: visual learners, auditory learners, kinesthetic learners, and reading and writing learners. I intend to use a simple pamphlet or brochure and highlight all the main points. For those that are kinesthetic learners, activities or examples can be provided to relate to real life scenarios. All of these items can help aid in the learning process.
Another important aspect that could cater to the audience’s receptivity to learning is if the information provided is in layman’s terms. In other words, whenever teaching a health care topic, all the information should be in simple words that anyone can understand. None of the words that healthcare professionals use should be used. The age range for my audience is 15 years old to 65 years old.
Part 2. With my site being a booth at a weekly farmer’s market I am expecting to engage with multiple different types of learning styles and needs. My learning material needs to be bright and eye catching. I plan to have a large infographic poster made that I can hang behind my small station. I plan on having a large number of interactions, maybe it is wishful thinking, but the infographic will hopefully allow for educational opportunities while I am engaging with others. The infographic can act as a less intimidating information sharer for individuals who may not want to engage with me directly.
According to Comello et al. (2016), infographics are increasingly showing positive efficacy by providing a visual component to the health information provided. Utilizing infographics online incorporating avatars and visually stimulating images can lead to better statistical retention (Comello et al., 2016). My infographic will be in person, but I feel like I can apply the same idea by incorporating similar virtual graphics to help gain attention. Simple, eye catching information about vaccine efficacy, mask efficacy, and address and phone numbers of two local clinics that provide immunizations and other preventive care resources.
My ultimate intent will to be to engage with and provided personal education to individuals related to their understanding of communicable diseases and prevention resources. I plan to have hand sanitizer and masks available to anyone that stops at the booth and I will also have pre-printed information sheets with resource on one side and facts on the other. I have decided to buy a pack of multiple bright colored sheets and I will make them half or quarter sheets.
Between the infographic, handouts and ultimately my personal verbal interactions I will be able to cover multiple learning styles. Being at a public market I will likely encounter patrons of all education level and therefore having the ability cater the information as needed. The biggest impediment I think I could anticipate, is that the community I live in tend to lean more on the homeopathic and anti-vaccination side of healthcare. So, I plan on having a personal list of the most up to date information on the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines along with safety information specific to the three vaccine that have been given out in our area.
