A nurse is teaching a male adolescent recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) about self-injecting insulin.
Which approach is best for the nurse to use to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching?

Choice A rationale

Demonstrating the self-injection technique is a practical way for the nurse to evaluate the adolescent's ability to perform the procedure correctly. This hands-on approach allows the nurse to observe technique accuracy and provide corrective feedback if needed. It also helps build the adolescent’s confidence in self-administering insulin, which is crucial for managing type 1 diabetes mellitus independently. Furthermore, demonstrating skills to peers can reinforce learning as it involves active engagement and peer teaching, which have been shown to enhance knowledge retention and skill proficiency.

Choice B rationale

Asking the adolescent to describe his level of comfort with injecting himself provides subjective feedback rather than an objective measure of his ability to perform the procedure correctly. Comfort level does not necessarily correlate with competency in technique. However, assessing comfort can be part of a comprehensive evaluation but should not be the sole method. Comfort levels might influence adherence to the injection regimen, but they do not directly indicate whether the injection is being done correctly.

Choice C rationale

Reviewing glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels can provide information about long-term blood glucose control but does not directly evaluate the adolescent's insulin injection technique. HbA1c reflects average blood glucose levels over the past 2-3 months and is influenced by multiple factors, including diet, physical activity, and overall diabetes management. While important for monitoring diabetes control, it is not a specific measure of the effectiveness of teaching self-injection techniques.

Choice D rationale

Having the adolescent list the procedural steps for safe insulin administration tests his recall of the steps but does not ensure that he can perform the injection correctly. Verbalizing steps is important for cognitive understanding but does not equate to the physical ability to execute the procedure. This approach may reveal gaps in knowledge but does not provide a comprehensive assessment of the actual injection technique.