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Thursday, September 20, 2012
Learning Objective 1: summarize benefits of an inter professional approach to community care
Learning Objective 2: explain how experienced professionals modeling evidence-based educational principles can inspire lateral and vertical life style changes in participants and students
Involving students in inter-professional service learning practice areas can provide opportunities for students to learn evidence-based practice, while also experiencing transformational leadership. Active Steps for Diabetes, a university-based partnership with a local health department and community health center, brings together nurse practitioners, physical therapists, dieticians, certified diabetes educators and students in the fields of nursing, exercise science and physical therapy. The twelve-week program, held during fall and spring semesters, is based upon Diabetes Self Management Education Guidelines. Under the guidance of a nurse practitioner / certified diabetes nurse educator, undergraduate nursing students coordinate participant education in the area of self glucose testing, pulse, blood pressure monitoring / interpretation, and medication indication / compliance. Although the course begins with skills demonstration, within two weeks, the participants are self-monitoring, interpreting results and relating implications of results. Simultaneously, led by a physical therapist and coordinated by physical therapy students, participants are evaluated for mobility disabilities, and engage in 40 minutes of exercise individualized to their capabilities and limitations. Although nursing and physical therapy practitioners are responsible for the oversight of discipline-specific care, the boundaries of the two fields blend, with the students working together toward goals, and learning both laterally and vertically. A 30-minute conversation about standard diabetes topics follows the sessions on vital signs, blood glucose monitoring, and the exercise session. As the program has evolved and extended return invitations to participants (promoting sustainability), it has encouraged the returners to record their vitals, exercise and participate in discussions on the standard topics. As the nurse practitioner and physical therapist have led the student groups, they have also observed student leaders emerge. Diabetes has worldwide relevance; the World Health Organization estimates that diabetes prevalence for all age groups will be 4.4% in the year 2030.