Talking with the patient

How to explain a statin

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Statins lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, but many patients stop them out of fear of side effects. A clear talk helps them decide and stay on track.

Step by step

  1. Explain why

    LDL cholesterol builds up in artery walls. Statins lower it and make the buildup more stable. [1]

  2. Share the benefit in numbers

    Use the patient's own risk estimate to explain how much the statin lowers their chance of a heart attack or stroke. [2]

  3. Explain how to take it

    Take it once a day. Some short-acting statins, such as simvastatin, work best in the evening. [3]

  4. Talk about side effects honestly

    Most people have none. Muscle aches can happen; severe muscle pain with dark urine needs urgent care. [3]

  5. Mention interactions

    Large amounts of grapefruit juice and some antibiotics or antifungals can raise levels of some statins. [3]

  6. Plan follow-up

    Recheck cholesterol 4 to 12 weeks after starting, then as advised. [4]

  7. Use teach-back

    Ask the patient what they will do if they get muscle aches. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in VMS

In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Sources

  1. AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back)
  2. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)
  3. Open RN, Nursing Pharmacology 2e (CC BY 4.0)
  4. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint

Facts and steps follow AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs); AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit (Teach-Back). VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.