Canada 150 offers an opportunity for all of us to stop and reflect on the great country we live in and the opportunities that exist for us as Canadians. This year for me, it also marks a very special moment in my career: in celebration of Canada 150, I was recognized by the Canadian Nurses Association as one of 150 Nurses for Canada. I was truly honoured and humbled by this incredible recognition, and it made me stop and reflect on my career in nursing, and in particular, my role in diabetes care.
When I graduated from nursing, I’m not sure I knew where my career would go, but I knew that I loved nursing. I enjoyed caring for patients and supporting them as they regained control of their health. I enjoyed constantly learning in order to stay current in practice, and I enjoyed using my creativity to look for better ways to do things. I worked many years in acute care, and when I decided to move into diabetes education in an outpatient setting, I wasn’t sure if I would find the same satisfaction, stimulation and evolving knowledge requirements. However, I was pleasantly surprised and here I am, over 20 years later, still working in diabetes care, still learning every day and still loving it.
The management of diabetes is complex and constantly evolving. Not only is it important to understand the various types of diabetes, the many treatment options and the related co-morbidities, but as educators, we also need to be able to translate that knowledge to individuals and family members in order to support them in effectively self-managing their diabetes. To support them, it is important to appreciate individual differences, respect various health beliefs, recognize the social determinants of health and understand behavioural change. There is no “one size fits all” for diabetes care and management. It is an individual, ever-changing, life-long journey with your patients. This is what makes diabetes care so challenging, yet rewarding. It combines the science and the art of nursing. It involves relationship building, recognizing that we bring the expertise of diabetes knowledge but the patient brings the expertise of their life experience. This is a shift in our approach as health care providers. We are typically trained in the acute care approach where we are taught to take care of people, but in supporting people to self-manage their diabetes or any chronic disease, we need to recognize and respect the dual roles.
It is through this dual role that I have learned so much from people living with diabetes, and this is perhaps the reason this Canada 150 recognition is most meaningful. It has been the feedback and the sharing of experiences from people and families living with diabetes that has inspired and challenged me to continually work to improve diabetes care. Even though my role in diabetes care has changed over the years – I now work in system planning and education – my values and goals remain the same. I strive to improve care for people with diabetes by improving their knowledge and abilities, improving access to care and improving knowledge of health care professionals. By continually working on this, my hope and dream is for all individuals and families living with diabetes to have access to knowledgeable health care professionals and to continue to lead healthy lives free from complications.
