This article will help other orthopaedic nurses design a teaching program for their total hip patients. The article discusses the development of an audiovisual presentation for the preoperative total hip patient. The program was designed to prevent the delivery of inconsistent, time consuming and, often nonexistent, preoperative teaching. A prepared audiovisual presentation is favored over a verbal presentation because (1) the nurse spends less time, (2) information is consistent with each presentation, and (3) the sense of sight is reached as well as the sense of hearing. Teaching can be done at the patient's convenience, which gains the support of the patients, their families, and the nursing staff.