Today's patients are quickly discharged from hospitals and often continue complex treatments at home. Patient teaching is critical and hospital nurses are encouraged to use "every teachable moment." This study explored and described the nature of integrating patient teaching into daily patient care and the factors influencing the delivery of teaching. A fieldwork method, conducted over 12 months, used participant-observation (PO) and a focus group session to answer the research questions. Three experienced registered nurses working on the oncology unit of an acute care community hospital served as informants. Critical attributes and patterns of observed teaching events were described.