Patient and Family Education Nurse

Roles and Responsibilities:

• The Patient and Family Education Nurse play a vital role in empowering individuals and their families to actively participate in their healthcare journey.
• This role focuses on providing clear, compassionate education about health conditions, treatment options, self-care practices, and preventive strategies.
• It aims to enhance health literacy, improve adherence to care plans, and support transitions between care settings ultimately improving quality of life and clinical outcomes.

Key responsibilities of the role:

• Evaluate knowledge level, health literacy, emotional state, readiness to learn, and preferred learning style.
• Set measurable education goals based on patient condition and discharge plans.
• Explain diagnoses, treatments, medications, potential side effects, and lifestyle changes using understandable language.
• Demonstrate wound care, medication use, hygiene practices, and equipment handling.
• Address emotional needs, connect families to support services, and advocate for patient-centered care.
• Provide discharge teaching and home care guidance to prevent readmissions.
• Educate on nutrition, exercise, smoking cessation, and chronic disease prevention.
• Assess understanding and retention, document outcomes, and revise plans as needed.
• Participate in care planning rounds and communicate patient needs to care teams.
• Adhere to hospital standards, MOH, CARF, and CBAHI requirements for patient education.
• Collaborate with the Marketing Department in the preparation and design of patient and family educational materials.
• Ensure that all materials are appropriately distributed and effectively reach the patients and their families.
• Regularly review and assess the educational content to identify areas for improvement or necessary updates based on patient needs, feedback, and clinical guidelines.
• Maintain records of distribution and feedback to support ongoing quality improvement efforts.
• Accurately document all education sessions provided to the patient and/or family in the designated section of the patient’s medical record.
• Include specific details such as the date and time of education, topics covered, materials used (e.g., brochures, videos), and the method of instruction (e.g., verbal, written, demonstration).
• Record the patient’s and family’s understanding, engagement, and any questions or concerns raised during the session.
• Note any barriers to learning (e.g., language, cognitive ability) and strategies used to overcome them. Update the documentation with any reinforcement or follow-up education provided during subsequent interactions.
• Protect all patient and family-related information in line with privacy laws.
• Deliver respectful, compassionate, and culturally sensitive education.
• Follow safety precautions during bedside and classroom education.
• Engage in continuous learning and seek feedback to improve educational methods.

Qualifications, Certifications and Experience:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) required with minimum 3 years of clinical nursing experience; at least 1 year in a patient or staff education role preferred.
• BLS required; certification in patient education or health coaching preferred.
• Valid Registration as Nurse Specialist or to practice his/her specialty from Saudi Commission for Health Specialties.
• Strong communication and teaching skills.
• Bilingual (Arabic/English) preferred.
• Experience working in rehabilitation or long-term care