| Course | NU140 Nursing Fundamentals |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 6 |
| Paper type | Teaching plan |
| Length | About 870 words, 6 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BSN (prelicensure) |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for NU140 Unit 6
Up the Stairs With the Good Leg, Down With the Bad: A Teaching Plan for a Composite 23-Year-Old Learning Non-Weight-Bearing Crutch Walking After an Ankle Fracture, Including the Three Steps to His Second-Floor Apartment
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
NU140: Nursing Fundamentals
Unit 6 Teaching Plan
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient is composite; the technique follows standard crutch-walking instruction, and the provider's weight-bearing order governs.
Assessment of the Learner
[Devon], a composite 23-year-old, has a fractured right ankle from a slip on the ramp of a delivery truck. It is splinted, and his provider has ordered no weight on the right leg for at least [six] weeks. He has never used crutches. Home is a walk-up unit he rents alone, reached by [14] stairs and one handrail on the right going up, and he is eager to go home today. He is alert, has no other injuries, and says he learns best "by doing it." His pain is [4] out of 10 after medication. His main concern is getting up the stairs to his apartment. Readiness to learn is high, but his eagerness may lead him to rush the practice.
Learning Need
Deficient knowledge of safe non-weight-bearing crutch walking, related to a new injury and no prior experience with crutches, as evidenced by his statement that he has never used them and his concern about stairs (Herdman et al., 2024).
Objectives
By the end of the teaching session, Devon will:
1. Demonstrate correct crutch height and handgrip position.
2. Walk [30] meters on a level surface using a swing-to gait without putting weight on the right foot.
3. Sit down in and rise from a chair safely.
4. Go up and down a flight of stairs with the handrail and one crutch, using the correct sequence.
5. State three signs that require a call to the provider.
Content and Method
Crutch fitting. With Devon standing in his shoe on the left foot, the crutch tops are set two to three finger-widths below the armpit and the handgrips adjusted so his elbows bend about [30] degrees. He is shown that weight goes through his hands, not his armpits, because pressure in the armpit can injure the nerves there. He then adjusts the second crutch himself.
Level walking. The nurse demonstrates the swing-to gait: both crutches forward, then the left leg swings to meet them while the right foot stays off the floor. Devon practices in the hallway with a gait belt and the nurse beside him, looking ahead rather than at his feet.
Chairs. To sit, he backs up until the chair touches the back of his left leg, holds both crutches in one hand by the grips, reaches for the armrest with the other and lowers himself. To stand, he reverses the steps.
Stairs. The nurse teaches the rule "up with the good, down with the bad." Going up, he holds the handrail with one hand and both crutches under the other arm or uses one crutch, steps up with the left leg, then brings the crutch up. Going down, the crutch goes down first, then the left leg follows. On his apartment stairs the handrail is on the right going up and on the left coming down, so he practices with the rail on each side. If stairs feel unsafe, he can sit and move up or down one step at a time.
The stairs are taught on the actual layout he will face, with the handrail on the side it really is, because a generic lesson fails at the first unfamiliar step.
Why This Order and Pace
The session moves from the simplest task, standing and fitting, to the most demanding, stairs, so each skill builds on the last. Devon's eagerness is used rather than resisted: he is given the crutches early and praised for each step done correctly, but he is told the stair practice will be repeated until it is right twice in a row, which sets a clear standard he can work toward. Short rests between tasks keep fatigue from making him careless, since tired arms make crutch walking less stable. Written instructions with simple drawings go home with him for the days when he cannot remember a step.
Safety Teaching
He is told to remove loose rugs, keep walkways clear, wear a supportive shoe on the left foot, keep crutch tips clean and dry, and avoid wet floors. Crutches change balance and require upper body strength and attention, which increase the risk of falls, especially on stairs (Bateni & Maki, 2005).
Evaluation
Devon demonstrated correct crutch height, walked the hallway without weight on the right foot, sat and stood from a chair correctly, and went up and down a training staircase with the rail on each side. On the first try he put the right foot down briefly at the top of the stairs; after a second practice he completed the sequence correctly twice. He stated three reasons to call: numbness or tingling in the hands or toes, increasing pain or swelling under the splint, and any fall. All five objectives were met. A family friend agreed to stay with him the first night (Potter et al., 2023).
References
Bateni, H., & Maki, B. E. (2005). Assistive devices for balance and mobility: Benefits, demands, and adverse consequences. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 86(1), 134-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2004.04.023
Herdman, T. H., Kamitsuru, S., & Takáo Lopes, C. (Eds.). (2024). NANDA International nursing diagnoses: Definitions and classification, 2024-2026 (13th ed.). Thieme.
Potter, P. A., Perry, A. G., Stockert, P. A., & Hall, A. M. (2023). Fundamentals of nursing (11th ed.). Elsevier.
What the NU140 Unit 6 assignment asks for
Unit 6 usually asks for a plan to teach a patient a self-care skill they will perform alone. Prompts typically want an assessment of the learner, including readiness, prior knowledge and preferred way of learning, a learning need or diagnosis, measurable objectives, the content and teaching methods, and an evaluation of each objective. Three to four pages is common. Faculty look for objectives that state what the patient will do and how well, methods suited to the skill, such as demonstration and return demonstration for motor skills, and teaching adapted to the patient's real environment. Safety points and signs that need a call to the provider are expected, and evaluation should report the patient's performance, not just that teaching occurred.
How this NU140 Unit 6 example is built
The plan opens with Devon's injury, weight-bearing order, home layout, eagerness and learning preference. A knowledge-deficit diagnosis and five objectives follow, from crutch height to stating three warning signs. Content and method cover crutch fitting with weight through the hands, the swing-to gait in the hallway, sitting and standing from a chair, and stairs taught with the rule of good leg up and bad leg down, with the highlighted line on teaching his actual stair layout. A section explains the order and pace, including written instructions with drawings. Safety teaching cites evidence on falls with walking aids, and the evaluation reports each objective with his performance and a misstep corrected on practice.
NU140 Unit 6 rubric: what earns full points
Teaching plans in NU 140 are generally marked on learner assessment, quality of objectives, appropriateness of methods, and evaluation. Assessment earns credit when readiness, prior experience, learning preference and home environment are described. Objectives should be measurable and centered on the learner, stating an observable behavior. Method points go to strategies matched to the type of learning; for a motor skill, demonstration with return demonstration is the expected standard. Evaluation is weighted heavily and rewards reporting how the patient performed each objective, including any that needed repeating. Safety content and clear warning signs often earn separate credit, and sources in APA 7 support the methods chosen.
Common NU140 Unit 6 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Teaching plans often state objectives the nurse will achieve, such as "teach crutch walking," instead of what the patient will do. Another frequent problem is relying on explanation alone for a physical skill that must be practiced. Some plans teach on a generic staircase when the patient's home has a different layout, so the lesson does not transfer. Many evaluate by writing "patient verbalized understanding." Write objectives as observable patient behaviors, teach motor skills by demonstration and return demonstration, adapt the lesson to the patient's real home, add written instructions, and evaluate each objective by what the patient actually did, repeating practice until it is correct.
Get an NU140 Unit 6 example written to your instructions
Tell us the skill or condition your Unit 6 prompt assigns, or describe the learner you have in mind, and attach the teaching plan template and rubric. Objectives follow the domain format your course uses. Within 24-48h a first custom sample arrives, free, with a composite learner standing in for anyone real. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
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NU140 Unit 6 questions, answered
Where can I find a free NU140 Unit 6 sample paper?
The complete NU140 Unit 6 teaching plan for non-weight-bearing crutch walking is here, with learner assessment, five objectives, content and methods, pacing, safety and evaluation, with three references. You can request a teaching plan for a different skill.
How should crutches be fitted?
With the crutch tops two to three finger-widths below the armpit and the handgrips set so the elbows bend about 30 degrees. Weight goes through the hands, because pressure in the armpit can injure nerves.
What is the rule for crutches on stairs?
Up with the good leg, down with the bad. Going up, the uninjured leg steps first and the crutch follows; going down, the crutch goes first and the uninjured leg follows, with a handrail used whenever possible.
Why use return demonstration in NU140 Unit 6?
Crutch walking is a motor skill learned by doing. Watching the patient perform each step shows whether he can do it safely, which explanation alone cannot confirm.
What warning signs should a crutch patient report?
Numbness or tingling in the hands or toes, increasing pain or swelling under the splint, and any fall. The sample patient stated all three before discharge.