Individual Behavior is one of the five determinants of health put forth by Healthy People 2020. Individual behavior as a determinant of health is important because a professional nurse knows that knowledge is power and can lead to healthy outcomes when the time is taken to ensure the adult understands why. Through health teaching, the nurse “Communicates facts, ideas, and skills that change knowledge, attitudes, values, beliefs, behaviors, and practices of individuals, families, systems, and/or communities” (Nies & McEwen, 2015, p. 14-15) and this intervention changes a person’s behavior, then that adult person’s goal is achieved. For example, let’s discuss a patient with CHF who wishes to better care for himself. It is easy to tell the patient
