Call for action: Nurses must play a critical role to enhance health literacy

Relationships among interventions and health literacy outcomes for sub-populations: A data-driven approach

“…This aligns with previous research, using the Omaha System and similar age ranges, which found that public health nursing interventions explained variability in health literacy outcomes [18,19]. Nurses and the multi-disciplinary health care team play a critical role in promoting health literacy and facilitating patient communication, and understanding health literacy should to be an integral component of every patient's plan of care [9,15,18]. Specifically, we found that the high-risk group received or required more interventions to increase knowledge scores [18].…”

“…On average, most cases in this study began with a "basic knowledge" score (3 out of 5) consistent with the definition of health literacy as "the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions" [4]. Current literature suggests a higher level of health literacy knowledge is needed to navigate the health systems, influence patient engagement, and facilitate motivation over one's health [7,9]. This indicates a knowledge level of 4 (adequate) or 5 (superior) would be ideal as a definition of benchmark attainment in health literacy, vs. the CDC benchmark of 3or basic knowledge of adopted a priori for this study [24].…”

“…Nurses are well positioned to optimize health literacy and are known to influence population health [2,8,9]. In this work, we explore the relationships between nursing interventions and health literacy outcomes for various cases collected during routine documentation in community care settings (e.g.…”

“…Health literacy has been identified as a necessary element to increase health equity and reduce health disparities [2,7,9]. The nursing profession is well positioned to help alleviate health inequity by engaging in patient-centered health literacy practices to minimize negative outcomes associated with limited health literacy and improve the skill and abilities needed in complex health systems [7,9,[14][15][16]. Public health nursing data sources, using the Omaha System, have been used to highlight nursing interventions provided during home care visits [17][18][19].…”

Nursing in uncertain times

“…Further, our professional obligation around protecting those we serve from harm requires that we be alert to what has now become ubiquitous ‘disinformation’, including both the misguided recommendations of those who have an affinity for ‘alternative facts’, and the malicious use of information created by what we now refer to as ‘trolls’—a problem that has become especially pervasive online and in social media (Marwick & Lewis, 2017). While information work has always been at the heart of what we do when we engage with every patient, family, or community we encounter (Loan et al, 2018), much of that is no longer simply provision of information but rather helping people interpret the multiple kinds of information, often contradictory, to which they are exposed. And in a global pandemic, it also becomes evident in sharp relief across the public domain that the role of nurses in the health ecosystem is not simply carative; it is profoundly life‐saving.…”