Hello Richard - As nurse we do influence our patients decision in making permanent life choices. Knowledge is power, if these patients are not educated on the Rational for why we as nurse teach them to do certain things, getting them to be complaint can be very difficult. People can take action when it comes to their health, when they fully understand the ramifications of their actions or unhealthy lifestyle, as well as the benefits of these changes we are asking of the individual. A good example for me is when I was talking with a patient a while back. This patient is what you we as nurse will call a frequent flyer. She is in and out of the hospital for congestive heart failure in fluid over load, so I asked her are you weighing yourself daily,
