PATIENT EDUCATION: TEACHING THE PATIENT WITH NARCOLEPSY

Course overview

Patient education for the patient with narcolepsy refers to the process of providing information to the patient to improve their knowledge about and skill in managing their disease, a lifelong, chronic neurological disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), cataplexy (i.e., brief and sudden bilateral loss of skeletal muscle tone brought on by strong emotions, such as laughter), sleep paralysis (i.e., a feeling while waking up or falling asleep of being conscious without being able to move the body), hypnagogic hallucinations (i.e., hallucinations that occur as one is falling asleep) and hypnopompic hallucinations (i.e., hallucinations that occur as one is waking up), and disturbed nocturnal sleep. This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of patient education for patients with narcolepsy, including step-by-step process and benefits, to aid in caring for the patient with this narcolepsy. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.