Health teaching is a primary responsibility of the registered nurse. Current trends encourage individualization of patient education and improved communication strategies. There are many known barriers to effective communication including health care providers overestimating their ability to provide effective education. A large percentage of patients in the United States have low health literacy, and those with sufficient health literacy may also struggle to absorb the large volume of complex information provided. Nurses should utilize a variety of strategies to overcome communication barriers and ensure education was effectively provided. The teach-back method is an evidence-based strategy nurses can use to ensure patients understand provided education. This strategy provides the opportunity for open communication between the nurse and patient. If a patient is unable to teach information back to the nurse, it allows information to be re-explained in a non-judgmental, conversational manner. Use of the teach-back method can empower nurses to provide best care to patients, improving their professional confidence. Teach-back can be adapted to individual patient circumstances, is low to no cost to implement, and can further improve the nurse-patient relationship. Implementation of an in-service regarding use of the teach-back method was completed as a pilot quality improvement project in the perianesthesia setting. Pre-survey data was compared to post-in-service and post-implementation survey data. The survey tool used in this project did not yield reliable quantitative results. Qualitative data supported the expansion of communication training including the teach-back method and barriers to effective communication in additional practice settings. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]