Health Education by Nurses: Strengthening Patients’ Knowledge and Self-Care Behavior
Keywords:
nurse-led health education, patient knowledge, self-care behavior, health literacy, disease managementAbstract
Health education is a core component of nursing practice that plays a critical role in improving patients' understanding of their health conditions and strengthening their capacity for self-care. This article examines the role of nurse-led health education in enhancing patients' knowledge and self-care behavior, particularly among individuals managing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. Using a narrative literature review, evidence was synthesized from studies examining nurse-delivered educational interventions, their outcomes, and the barriers and facilitators affecting their implementation. The findings indicate that structured, individualized health education significantly improves patients' knowledge retention and comprehension, particularly when delivered through multiple teaching modalities and reinforced with techniques such as teach-back. This improved knowledge is associated with better self-care behaviors, including medication adherence, dietary management, and symptom monitoring, ultimately contributing to reduced hospital readmissions and improved quality of life. However, the effectiveness of health education is often constrained by time limitations, insufficient training in teaching strategies, and inadequate institutional support. Facilitating factors such as dedicated education time, standardized materials, continuous professional development, and technology integration were found to enhance educational outcomes. The review concludes that nurse-led health education should be recognized as an essential clinical intervention rather than a supplementary task, requiring stronger institutional commitment and further rigorous research to optimize its delivery and long-term impact on patient self-management.
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