I joined the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE) last year. I wanted to better understand what they discuss, what's difficult working with patients, and how they are successful. I get lots of notices about web seminars but in truth I haven't taken any, primarily because I'm not looking for credit. I'm a "diabetes educator" by way of being a well educated patient and sharing my knowledge in books and presentations, but not working with patients in a clinical setting.
I get the quarterly newsletter, however, and it's interesting to read what our educators read and see patient management from their perspective. There's still the occasional talk about "compliance," but there's also talk about how to ensure illiterate patients understand what they need to to manage their diabetes and sharing knowledge and experience among the AADE membership.
Skimming through the Spring 2010 AADE in Practice newsletter, I stopped to take this in in their Practice Pearls section. Kathy Dropeski, RN, BSN, CDE writes in "In This Place-A Promise To Our Patients," that sometimes patients are fearful and dread a meeting with an educator, conditioned by years of judgmental glances and their apparent failure to adequantely manage their diabetes. Don't we know it.
She advises educators create a sanctuary of safety where patients have the freedom to learn, ask questions and grow in managing their diabetes. These are words she found inspiring to remember:
In This Place - A Promise To Our Patients
In this place, you will not be judged by the numbers in your logbook.
You will be valued as a whole person with dreams, goals, aspirations and responsibilities.
You will be respected as an individual who has a right to make your own decisions and choices.
You will have the freedom to falter, to make mistakes, and to try again as many times as you need to.
You will be empowered to set goals, to make decisions and to take actions that will help you make the changes that you want to happen.
You will be encouraged to ask questions, to test our knowledge and to challenge us to grow in our ability to serve.
You will have educators (teachers, coaches) who will stand beside you as you learn to live with a disease called diabetes.
If you're a diabetes educator you might just want to print out a copy and post it where both you and your patients will see it. Actually it's not bad advice for any health care provider, diabetes or no diabetes, teacher, parent, partner... you get the idea.