Storytelling: An Educational Model for Chronic
Kidney Disease (CKD) Patient Instruction
Logo
Shelley Mason MSN, RN, CNP
Rita Lovelace BSN RN
Cleveland Clinic East Region Community Hospitals
Health literacy is a
growing concern in
America
Over 75 million adults
have Basic and Below
Basic health literacy
KIDNEY FACTORY
Health
Literacy
Written information
needs to be at 5th
grade level
One solution is
the use of oral
communication
Oral Storytelling
 The oldest form of communication
 Allows for interaction between
caregiver and patient
Chronic Kidney Disease
 Any condition that causes reduced kidney
function over a period of time. CKD is
present when a patient’s glomerular
filtration rate remains below 60 milliliters
per minute for more than 3 months or when
a patient’s urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio
is over 30 milligrams (mg) of albumin for
each gram (g) of creatinine (30 mg/g)
GFR
Glomerulonephritis
15%
Cystic
kidney
Other
16%
5%
Urologic
disease
2%
Diabetes
38%
BP
24%
of Kidney failure in US
The Kidney Factory Story
To work efficiently kidneys need 100 workers
Keys to happy workers



Amount of work is Constant 

 If GFR decreases:
 Workers leave

 Remaining workers have to

work harder to do the same
work
 Increase stress on kidneys
C
a
u
s
e
s
BP control
Take medications
Follow healthy diet
Stop smoking
Stay active
Know your numbers
Come to follow up
appointments
 As GFR increases
 Workers return
 Work load is shared
with more workers
 100 workers needed for efficient
kidney factory
 Decrease in GFR = unhappy
workers
 Some workers walk off the job
 Workers left behind are
overwhelmed
 same amount of work but
less help
 By following diet, exercise, and
taking medications as directed
 You can increase the GFR
 Some workers will return to
factory
 Each worker now has less to
do