Patient education is a nursing responsibility that is often impromptu, spontaneous, and poorly documented. In many cases the patient’s ability to perform a skill or task in the management of an illness or disease process affects the patient’s outcome. A tool designed to evaluate patient performance guides the teaching process, promotes communication between the patient and nurse, and promotes communication among health care providers as it relates to patient performance. Nurses are in key positions to develop patient performance tools to ensure that the patient, or a patient’s family member, can manage the health care requisites.