| Why
should I counsel? Nurses are highly trained in counseling.
For some, counseling is the primary method of treatment. A folic acid campaign
cannot be successful if the aim is merely to disseminate information about folic
acid. Because the ultimate goal is to actually move women to increase their
consumption of folic acid, counseling must be action-based and provide concrete
suggestions for incorporating folic acid into their daily regimen. As a nurse, you play an
integral role in promoting behavioral change and providing support.
Numerous studies have shown that the
intervention of health providers, through counseling on a specific health issue,
encourages behavior change in patients:
§
According to a study conducted by Georgia State
University in the late 1990’s, nurses provided an educational intervention on
cardiovascular risk reduction to rural workers. These workers showed significantly
reduced serum cholesterol values as much as one year after the intervention occurred.[93]
§
In an additional study, nurses used behavioral
counseling with a group of patients, with the aim of encouraging them to reduce smoking
and dietary fat intake while increasing regular physical activity. In these
patients, favorable differences were recorded in all three of the targeted areas.[92]
These
studies demonstrate the ability of the nursing professional to council effectively and
foster enduring behavioral change
| While
these are only a few examples of the effectiveness of a nurse’s success at
counseling, the message is clear: You can make a difference in the health
behavior of your patients. |
Studies indicate that more than 70% of
women counseled took folic acid because their health care provider recommended it.[66] However, the Gallup poll conducted by the
March of Dimes shows that only 25% of women surveyed had actually been given folic acid
information by their health care providers.[67] Offering folic acid counseling appropriately
will allow you to play a part in increasing this latter percentage, and will positively
affect your patients’ lives! |
