PATCH FOR TEENS

While we'd love to have PATCH Teen Educators in every area to facilitate a PATCH for Teens: Peer-to-Peer Workshop (part of the PATCH Teen Educator Program), we know that's just not possible.

So, we've adapted the content into this collection of FREE lessons so that YOU, too, can help educate and motivate young people to take an active role in their health care. These lessons feature five unique topics and activities that can be delivered as separate 20-30 minute sessions or combined for longer periods.

PLEASE NOTE: These Mini Lessons are in the final stages of quality improvement and creation - they will be available publicly by April 2024. Click the link below to get on our email list for the resources when they go live. Once publicly available they will be included here for free download. Many thanks for your interest and your patience as we work to update this incredible resource!

  • LESSON 1: Health Care 101
  • LESSON 2: Patient-Provider RELATIONSHIPS
  • LESSON 3: Teen Health Care RIGHTS
  • LESSON 4: Taking RESPONSIBILITY
  • LESSON 5: Creating Quality Health Care Experiences with the 3 Rs

Be sure to check out our wrap-around resources to enhance the learning experience or reach to a PATCH Coach if you want additional support utilizing these materials!

Managing our own health care -like driving a care- is an important part of becoming an adult. At the end of the day, it's just making sure we're physically and mentally well so that we can do so many amazing things in life!

- PATCH Teen Educator
As health educators, we often tell our students, 'ask your doctor [or health care professional]' but we don't teach them HOW. This information helps teens WHY it's important to be honest with them and HOW to ask good questions. 

- School Health Teacher

A previous iteration of these resources was piloted during the 2016-2017 school year in six diverse WI school districts. School health educators and school-based nurses integrated the information into existing health education efforts, reaching 430 students in grades 9 through 12.

Of the 416 students who completed the post-retrospective evaluation, over two-thirds reported that they plan to be more involved in their health care (69.8%), advocate for themselves in health care settings (68.0%), talk openly and honestly with health care providers (71.9%), and learn more about how to manage their own health care (68.6%). Modifications and improvements were made based on facilitator and participant feedback.

The findings from this pilot project are published in The Journal of School Nursing.

Aeschbach, C. J., Burrough, W. B., Olejniczak, A. B., & Koepsel, E. R. (2019). Teaching adolescents to manage their own health care. The Journal of School Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840519867363