| Course | HCA 105 Pharmacology |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | Patient teaching sheet |
| Length | About 1,038 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Health Care Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 105 Module 7
Starting Lisinopril: A Plain-Language Teaching Sheet for ACE Inhibitors and the Reasoning Behind Each Line
Student Name
Health Care Administration Program, Aspen University
HCA 105: Pharmacology
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Starting Lisinopril: A Plain-Language Teaching Sheet for ACE Inhibitors and the Reasoning Behind Each Line
Patients leave clinics with new prescriptions and a great deal of information, much of which they forget or misunderstand. A short, plain teaching sheet helps. This paper presents a teaching sheet for ACE inhibitors, a common class of blood pressure medicines, written for a composite patient, Mr. H., who is starting lisinopril. It explains the reasoning behind each point, the role of health literacy and how teach-back confirms understanding.
The Drug Class
ACE inhibitors, including lisinopril, enalapril and ramipril, lower blood pressure by blocking the enzyme that makes angiotensin II, a hormone that tightens blood vessels. They are used for high blood pressure, heart failure and to protect the kidneys in some patients with diabetes. Common side effects include a dry cough and dizziness, especially at the start; less common but important effects include raised potassium and, rarely, angioedema, swelling of the face, lips or tongue that can block the airway. They should not be used in pregnancy (Lilley et al., 2023).
Choosing What to Leave Out
A teaching sheet cannot include everything. Drug references list many possible side effects and interactions, but a sheet that includes all of them overwhelms patients and hides the most important points. The sheet for Mr. H. includes the effects that are common, such as dizziness and cough, and the rare ones that are dangerous, such as swelling of the face and throat, while leaving out effects that are rare and minor. Deciding what to omit is as important as deciding what to include.
Why Health Literacy Shapes the Sheet
Health literacy, a person's capacity to locate, grasp and act on health information, shapes outcomes. A review of the pathways linking health literacy to health outcomes described how limited health literacy can affect access to care, interactions with providers and self-care (Paasche-Orlow & Wolf, 2007). A teaching sheet for a new medicine must therefore use short sentences, common words, one idea per line and clear actions, and it should be readable by people who struggle with written English. Even patients who read well absorb less when they are worried about a new diagnosis, so plain language helps everyone.
The Teaching Sheet
The sheet below is written for Mr. H. The sheet fits on one page and aims for a reading level most adults find easy.
| Topic | What the sheet says |
|---|---|
| What it is for | Lisinopril lowers your blood pressure. It helps protect your heart and kidneys. |
| How to take it | Take one tablet each day at the same time. You can take it with or without food. |
| When you first start | You may feel dizzy. Stand up slowly. Sit down if you feel faint. |
| A common side effect | Some people get a dry cough. Tell your clinic if it bothers you. Do not stop the pill on your own. |
| Get help right away | Call 911 if your face, lips, tongue or throat swell or you have trouble breathing. |
| Tests | You will need blood tests to check your kidneys and potassium. |
| Other medicines | Ask before taking salt substitutes, potassium pills or pain pills like ibuprofen. |
| Pregnancy | Do not take this medicine if you are pregnant or could become pregnant. Tell your provider right away. |
The Reasoning Behind Each Point
Each line has a reason. Stating the purpose first helps patients value the medicine. Taking it at the same time supports adherence. Dizziness warnings prevent falls in the first days. Naming the cough prepares patients for a common effect and asks them not to stop the drug on their own. The emergency line addresses the rare but dangerous swelling in the clearest words possible. Blood tests matter because ACE inhibitors can raise potassium and affect kidney function, and salt substitutes often contain potassium. Nonsteroidal pain relievers can reduce the drug's effect and strain the kidneys. The pregnancy warning addresses a serious risk (Lilley et al., 2023). Each point also tells the patient what to do, not only what to know, since actions are what keep patients safe.
Using Teach-Back
A sheet works best when combined with conversation. Teach-back invites the patient to say back, in plain terms, what they plan to do, and the staff member fills gaps and tries again until the patient has it right. A systematic review found teach-back widely used, particularly by nurses, with improvements reported in patient understanding and self-management, while implementation varied (Talevski et al., 2020). For Mr. H., a staff member might ask: Tell me what you would do if your lips started to swell. If Mr. H. answers that he would call the clinic tomorrow, the staff member explains again that swelling of the lips is an emergency and asks once more.
Formatting for Readability
Format matters as much as wording. The sheet uses a large font, short lines, headings that match patients' questions and plenty of white space. Emergency information is set apart so it is easy to find. Where many patients speak another language, the clinic should use a professionally translated version rather than asking staff to translate informally. Offering the sheet in large print and reviewing it aloud helps patients with vision or reading difficulties.
What the Allied Health Worker Does
The provider or pharmacist explains the decision to prescribe and answers clinical questions. The allied health worker may give the sheet, reinforce its points, use teach-back and pass any concerns, such as a patient who says they are pregnant or already take potassium, to the provider or pharmacist. The worker does not change instructions or advise stopping the drug. This division of roles keeps teaching accurate while making the most of the time each staff member spends with the patient.
Conclusion
A good teaching sheet for a new medicine is short, plain and built around actions. For ACE inhibitors, it tells patients what the drug is for, how to take it, what to expect at first, which rare signs need emergency help and why blood tests matter. Health literacy research explains the plain design, and teach-back confirms that the message arrived. The same approach, a short sheet built around actions and checked with teach-back, works for any new medicine an allied health worker helps a patient understand.
References
Lilley, L. L., Collins, S. R., & Snyder, J. S. (2023). Pharmacology and the nursing process (10th ed.). Elsevier.
Paasche-Orlow, M. K., & Wolf, M. S. (2007). The causal pathways linking health literacy to health outcomes. American Journal of Health Behavior, 31(Suppl. 1), S19-S26. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.31.s1.4
Talevski, J., Wong Shee, A., Rasmussen, B., Kemp, G., & Beauchamp, A. (2020). Teach-back: A systematic review of implementation and impacts. PLOS ONE, 15(4), Article e0231350. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0231350
HCA 105 Module 7 instructions, in plain terms
Aspen's catalog describes HCA 105 as blending pharmacology content with practical exercises, and a teaching sheet is one such exercise; because the module prompt is not published, this sample follows that description. A teaching sheet assignment usually asks you to choose a common drug or class, write patient information in plain language and explain your choices. Some instructors specify a reading level or length. Check whether the sheet must follow a template, whether you must cite a drug reference for each fact and whether a rationale section is required. Remember that allied health workers reinforce teaching rather than make clinical decisions, and write the sheet with that role in mind. Some instructors want the sheet itself submitted as a separate page.
How the HCA 105 Module 7 example is put together
Eleven short sections surround the teaching-sheet table, about 1,000 words altogether. It opens with why patients forget new medication information. A section summarizes the ACE inhibitor class, and another explains what was deliberately left out of the sheet. Health literacy research justifies the plain design. The table presents the sheet itself. A section gives the reasoning behind each line, followed by formatting for readability, teach-back with a sample question and the allied health worker's role. The conclusion describes an approach that works for any new medicine. The sheet's table can be lifted out and printed for a patient. Its reasoning section answers the question every reviewer asks: why this line?
Reading the HCA 105 Module 7 grading rubric
Teaching sheet assignments are usually graded on accuracy, readability, completeness of key points and a sound rationale. Drug facts are accurate and drawn from a pharmacology text. Readability is supported by health literacy research, which a margin note says grounds the design rather than treating simplicity as style. Key points cover common and dangerous effects, and a second note explains the judgment behind what was omitted. The rationale for each line is explicit. A third note credits pairing the sheet with teach-back. The pharmacology text, the health literacy review and the teach-back review are cited alongside the claims they support. The one-page limit also shows respect for patients' time and attention.
Common HCA 105 Module 7 mistakes, and how to avoid them
The most common mistake is copying a drug reference's full list of side effects into a patient sheet. Choose what matters and say why. Students also write in clinical language that patients cannot follow; use short sentences and everyday words. Another frequent gap is leaving out what to do, telling patients what might happen without saying when to call or seek help. Add actions. Some sheets bury the emergency warning in the middle of a paragraph. Set it apart. Finally, remember to check understanding with teach-back rather than assuming a sheet has done the teaching. Read your sheet aloud; if a sentence is hard to say, it will be hard to read.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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HCA 105 Module 7 questions, answered
What does HCA 105 Module 7 usually ask for?
Aspen's HCA 105 description combines pharmacology concepts with practical exercises, so writing a patient teaching sheet for a common drug class is a typical assignment. Check your classroom for the format.
What should a patient teaching sheet include?
What the drug is for, how to take it, common side effects, warning signs that need urgent help, tests, interactions and any special precautions, in plain language.
Why do ACE inhibitors need blood tests?
They can raise potassium and affect kidney function, so levels are checked, especially after starting or changing the dose.
Where can I find a free HCA 105 Module 7 sample paper?
This page reproduces the complete ACE inhibitor teaching sheet and its rationale, with side comments, for any reader free of charge. It is the seventh HCA 105 sample.
What should an HCA 105 Module 7 teaching sheet include?
What the medicine is for, how to take it, common side effects, emergency warning signs, needed tests, interactions and any special precautions, in plain language.