Assessment of Learning Needs in Patients Hospitalized In the General Surgery Clinic

Background: A planned patient training suited to the needs and personal characteristics of the patient is one of the most important factors in meeting the goal of a discharge training. The findings in the literature indicate that a training suited to the patients’ learning needs helps them overcome difficulties related to their diseases; increases their compliance to and satisfaction with the treatment; and decreases unplanned re-admissions to hospital. Aims: This study was conducted to assess the learning needs of the patients hospitalized in surgery clinics. Methodology:This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 57 patients in the General Surgery Clinic. Data were obtained using the “Patient Information Form,” and the Turkish version of the ‘’Patient Learning Needs Scale (PLNS) ’’ by the researhers. Results: The mean total PLNS score was 215.6±27.9, indicating that the patients’ learning needs were at an extremely significant level within the total scale. The most significant learning needs of the patients were treatment and complications (mean=39.7±3.9, level of significance=4.41), while the least important were the feelings related to condition (mean=19.9±3.8, level of significance 3.98). The study results indicated that the learning needs of general surgery patients are very high before their discharge from the hospital, and that treatment and complications were the main subjects where patients needed to be informed. Conclusion:The effective management of complications and participation of the patients in this process can be ensured through the assessment of patient learning needs by surgery nurses according to the patients’ own priorities. Thus, a key implication arising from this study is, raising awareness of educational roles of surgical nurses.