Journal of Advanced Nursing, 1992,17,158-163 Client education: a futuristic outlook Valene E M Fleming RGON RM MA Lecturer, Department of Nursmg Shidtes. Massey Untverstty, Palmerston North, New Zealand Accepted for publication 1 July 1991 FLEMING V E M (1992) Journal of Advanced Nursmg 17,158-163 Client education: a futuristic outlook This paper explores educational concepts in relation to client education, and more specifically the area of prenatal education In particular, it examines how nurses and women clients can work together to create education programmes aimed at enhancing deasion-making processes and developing knowledge which has the potential to emanapate women from the medical domination of the health services Traditional approaches to teaching and leaming are challenged and the role of the nurse as a leader m a cntical approach to cumcula of client education programmes is considered HEALTH SERVICES IN NEW ZEALAND There .s no doubt that the health services m New Zealand aredealingwithissuesthataremimeasurablymorecomplex than those of 20 years ago On one hand, medical tech- nology IS advancmg at a great rate, wble on the other, dients of the health care system are demanding a greater say intheirtreatmentNeitheristhehealthcaresystemmdepen- dent of greater soao-political structures on a national and international basis Government moves to restnct budgets and make area health boards more accountable for their spendmg all have a beanng on the provision of services now and m the future One commonality ansing h-om all these ideas is an mcreased focus on the concept of client education This may provide mfomiation about medical procedures, ful- fil the demands of clients for knowledge and lead to a decrease in operahng costs of health care services if , 1 , 1 , jr 1 I .1 Knowledge gamed from such programmes is used m the provision of self-care Client education While nurses have embraced the concept of client edu- cation, this has h-adihonally been aimed at helping people recuperate from or cope with an lUness, prevent recurrences Camspofidence Valene £ M nem«g. 16 Rangtara Avenue, Palmenim North, New of health problems or to help 'at nsk' populations reduce ^-eir chancesofbecommg.il (Rovers 1987) In general, client hes to curncula, which Fo^ women who are cLents of the health ^e system, past socialization has emphasized this dependence upon the medical profession (Oakley 1980), but m New Zealand the i », , inquiry mto cervical cancer at National Women's Hospital (Cartwnght 1988) has raised the awareness of many women who are now seetang to partiapateicif/i health professionals •" making deasions related to their own health This pro- vides a challenge ror nurses as health educators to move ^^opt the perspective proposed by Nassif (1980) that client education is a process of fostenng awareness, influencing attitudes and identifying alternatives The purpose of this paper ^ ^ paper explores how nurses and women clients can work together to create education programmes aimed at enhancmg the deasion-makmg process and developmg knowledge which has the potential of emanapahon from the medical domination of the health services It will be ^S^ ^at this Can Only be achieved where previously taken-for-granted soaal roles of nurses and chents are