West Coast University: NURS 110 Syncope Patient Education Report

This report focuses on patient education regarding syncope, a condition characterized by fainting. It begins by defining syncope and its common causes, such as a drop in blood pressure, and associated symptoms. The report then outlines immediate actions to take when someone faints, including checking for breathing and positioning the person correctly. It emphasizes preventive measures, like staying hydrated and avoiding triggers. The report includes a case study of a patient, Atalie Cabrera, and her family, discussing their experiences and the impact of syncope on their lives. The educational approach involves assessing the patient's existing knowledge, using clear language, and incorporating return demonstrations. The report also highlights the importance of patient readiness and the use of open-ended questions to gauge understanding. Patient education is designed to help manage their health effectively and prevent future occurrences. References to supporting literature are also included to emphasize evidence-based practices.

Running head: SYNCOPE 1
Syncope
Name
Institutional affiliation

SYNCOPE 2
At the end of the instructional session the patient should will:
1. Describe syncope and the symptoms that are associated with it. In most cases syncope
(fainting) is caused by an unexpected drop in blood pressure. It can be as a result of
standing quickly from lying or sitting down especially in older persons. Other causes of
syncope include standing in one place for a long time, straining while talking as well as
using certain medications.
2. Describe what to do when syncope occurs. Once someone faints checking if he or she is
breathing should be the immediate action to ensure that airways are clear. The person
should sit with the head between legs or lie down (Runser, 2017) .the position should be
maintained until the symptoms disappear completely.in case the person has chest pains
and is not speaking or the symptoms persist medical attention should be sought
immediately.
3. Explain how to avoid such occurrences in future. There are several ways of preventing
syncope depending on the situation. According to Bennet (2017), they include taking
plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration, avoiding sugary foods and alcohol. Syncope is not
serious if it happens once. If it becomes chronic the trigger situation should be avoided at
any cost. It is advisable for some people to stand slowly from lying or sitting position.
Counter pressure exercises are also of great help if the signs of fainting are realized.
It is very important to educate patients on how to manage their personal health.
Patient education is very effective when patients get timely and accurate messages from
their care providers because it enables them to fully participate in their care (Dockx,
2019). To ensure that the patient understands the lessons fully, I would ensure that I use

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several learning styles. I would start talking to them about syncope the first encounter I
have with them. This helps to know what the patient already knows about the illness. I
would also include questions while I communicate with the patient and then later explain
syncope in layman’s terms. Afterwards the patient should explain in his or her terms what
was explained .it is also advisable that I use return demonstration when giving care to the
patient and involve him from the first treatment. The patient also needs to be provided
with information concerning signs and symptoms that would require urgent attention.
For efficient patient education, the learner (patient) should be very ready to learn.
The readiness of the patient is accessed through questioning them about the
understanding they have on the condition they are in. the questions are usually open
headed and probing. The assessment gives holes where the nurses begin their education
(Kidd, Doughty, &Goldhaber, 2016).It is also important to get to know the patients level
of education. Patients with higher education tend to be le interested in learning as
compared to those who do not. The age I also important factor when accessing the
readiness of the learner. Interested patients also tent to ask questions during the process.
It is also important to access whether the goals set at the beginning of the session
are being achieved. This is done to check whether the program is working. They are
studied by giving randomized trials which are controlled to test whether the aims are
being achieved. The learner should gain skills on how to maintain his health and
understand the condition he is in better as the program continues.
The name of the patient was Atalie Cabrera and was accompanied by the parent
Bernadette Aroca. I met them on 02/29/2020 at 1715 hours. The patient had been suffering
from acute syncope for three weeks and the illness had affected the patient as well as the
family in many ways. This include financially as the patient needed checkup regularly,

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emotionally especially when around family as well as depression. The patient also missed
attending her job(teacher) and other duties that she was supposed to do daily. This was the
main cause of depression to the patient. According to the patient, she has siblings who are in
anxiety fearing that something may happen to their sister. This is not a good outcome for the
patient relies on the family love and friends for support. She also made it clear that she has
been dealing successfully with the stresses associated with the illness and it has not affected
his work yet. She also faced some difficulties falling asleep but with her mothers comfort she
was well. The patient was becoming well although she was afraid of needles used during
treatment. The care, compassion and comfort shown by nurses was helping her through it
successfully. The assessment of the patient was conducted at their home in a quiet place.

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References
Bennet, M. et al. (2017).Recurrent syncope: Differential diagnosis and management. BMJ
Journals 15(3), 5-13. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2017/0301/p303.html
Dockx, K.M.et al. (2019). Physical maneuvers’ as a prevention to manage syncope. Plosone
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/
journal.pone.0212012&type=printable
Kidd, S.K., Doughty, C., &Goldhaber, S.Z. (2016).Circulation, Am heart asoc.2016
American heart association. 133 (16)600-602.
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.115.017308
Runser, L. et al. (2017). Syncope: Evaluation and differential Diagnosis. Wamack Army
Center, 33(1), 43-76.file:///C:/Users/mihai/Documents/Downloads/p303.pdf-RUNSER