title: Registered Nurses' Experiences With Individuals With Low Health Literacy: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.
abstract: The nursing profession is charged to provide effective communication and education to patients. A qualitative descriptive study that explored what nurses experience when interacting with patients thought to possess low health literacy was performed. Findings suggest that nurses are promoting health literacy using several evidence-based strategies. Major barriers encountered by nurses were limited cultural and linguistic resources within their healthcare organizations. This study provides nursing professional development specialists information about the educational gaps of nurses in practice related to health literacy and the identification of systems barriers.
authors.affiliation: Coleen E. Toronto, MSN, RN, CNE, is Doctoral Student, College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, and Assistant Professor, Curry College, Milton, Massachusetts. Barbara Weatherford, PhD, RN, CNE, is Assistant Professor of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth.
authors.forename: Coleen E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Toronto
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Weatherford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research