Background: Patients and caregivers are often not adequately informed about new medications. Nurses can lead innovations that improve new medication education.
Local problem: Healthcare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores on medication questions trailed state and national levels in one Midwestern hospital.
Methods: This quality improvement project, guided by the Ottawa Model of Research Use and the Always Use Teach-back! innovative toolkit, used a 1-group pre- and posteducation design with RNs, patients, and caregivers.
Intervention: RNs (n = 25) were observed in patient/caregiver education and surveyed in confidence/con-viction in the teach-back method before and after education. Patients' (n = 74) and caregivers' (n = 33) knowledge was assessed.
Results: RNs reported significant increases in conviction in the importance of (P < .0001), confidence in using (P < .0001), and frequency in using (P < .0001) teach-back. With teach-back, both patients and caregivers recalled the purpose and side effects of new medications. Specific HCAHPS scores increased from 6% to 10%.
Conclusion: The teach-back method strengthened safe nursing practice and enhanced quality in new medication education.