Moving Beyond Written Reinforcement: Using Video Clips to Reinforce Patient Education and Increase Caregiver Confidence

Purpose: Pediatric nurses frequently teach caregivers to care for their ill child in the home environment. When this care involves learning how to operate medical equipment and perform treatments and procedures, it can be very challenging and intimidating for a caregiver. In the majority of hospitals, caregivers are given written materials upon discharge to reinforce education received from a hospital nurse educator. While written materials alone are acceptable for many caregivers, they do not always meet the needs of a growing population of 21st century learners.

This study explored the use of video skill clips to teach caregivers to perform medical procedures required in the care of their children. The purpose was to determine from the caregiver’s perspective the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of video skill clips to reinforce discharge education and if this method of instruction increased their knowledge and confidence levels.

Design and methods: This One- Group Pretest-Posttest study was conducted at a large Midwestern pediatric hospital in the United States where participants completed an investigator developed questionnaire before and after viewing the video skill clips. The study inclusion criteria were caregivers: (a) 18 years of age or older; (b) able to speak and understand English, and (c) with a child requiring a medical procedure at home. Exclusion criteria were caregivers (a) unable to complete the educational sessions; (b) who had received medical skill teaching or had watched the clips during previous admissions; (c) who were professional healthcare providers themselves. Data analysis consisted of paired t-test and descriptive statistics.

Results: The 100% of participants stated the clips were feasible and acceptable (n=40, M= 94.15, SD 6.84). Medical procedural knowledge and confidence levels significantly increased among participants after watching the video skill clips (p=<.001).

Conclusion and Practice Implications: These findings highlight a strong need for the use of video in patient education. These skill clips provide an opportunity to caregivers who learn best through visual and auditory methods, especially those with low literacy levels. They are a highly accessible and efficient tool for caregiver review of medical skills.