| “Patient education is a means for helping people take ownership of their own well-being.
One of my participants, Jim is a great guy. I’ve noticed some big changes in our relationship. At first, he didn’t want to deal with his health. Now, his progression is amazing. He didn’t use his blood glucose monitor much when we started. Now he uses it regularly, and he monitors his blood pressure regularly. He’s very interested in his health and wants ownership of it which is what the LifeMasters program is about. When we talk it’s like talking to a friend. We talk every couple of weeks but for the majority of our conversation it is about his health - he asks lots of questions and really listens.
I feel like I make a real difference. You develop a real relationship with your participants, which is nice. If they want to please you, they’ll make a change. I’m proud to be part of LifeMasters because of the people I work with, and because I believe we are fulfilling a task that’s very important for people. We’re there to provide them with information or the coaching to take the steps they need to take ownership of their health care.”
Barbara C. Health Educator, LifeMasters |
| “We call people around the country and we help them with their health conditions -- whether it be heart failure, coronary artery disease, asthma or diabetes. We help educate them about what the condition means, how it came about, how to prevent it from getting worse, how to eat, exercise, what their lab results mean and how to improve them.
We see the stats, which are changed lab results -- I’ve lost twenty pounds. We hear things like, ‘you have changed my life, you’ve put me back on the right track, I look forward to your calls. I love what you’re teaching me.’ There’s so much positive feedback. They want to hear from us, they keep records of their results and they like that somebody’s keeping up with them. [My participant], David is wonderful. He is the epitome of why there is a LifeMasters. He loves LifeMasters. He’s says, ‘you’ve kept me on track’. His lab results have improved incredibly. He is incredibly receptive. He takes everything that we talk about and says, ‘I’m going to do that. That’s my goal’. And then on the next call, he says, ‘I’ve started implementing that.’ There is an ongoing interaction, plus the fact that he’s just delightful and it’s fun speaking with him. He makes it all worthwhile. We’ve always said if we could change one person’s life.. it’s true of any kind of nursing, You hope that you will make a difference and somebody will know that you’ve touched them. And with David, he’s so receptive and he appreciates the calls. He makes me feel like I’m needed and wanted.”
Karen G., R.N. Clinical Nurse Consultant, LifeMasters Program |
| “I know I make a difference. I have a patient who I’ve been talking to for about two and a half years. She has lost about ten pounds so far. Her lab results have reduced. Her A1C level has come down. She’s there for every call. She listens to what I say. She’s done a wonderful job and we can just keep doing it day by day and making permanent lifestyle changes she’ll be doing great. It feels good.
When I talk to my one participant every week, it’s always interactive. She’s always ready for me. She has all her blood sugars ready. We talk about it. She has her questions written down. It’s just a much more interactive conversation, two-way conversation instead than me just teaching one way. Our participants are getting day-to-day reminders of what’s working, what’s not working. We encourage them to monitor their vital signs. We answer their questions in between their doctor’s visits. We help empower them to ask questions of the doctor, what to ask and not to look foolish to the doctor and how to feel better about themselves internally as well as externally. LifeMasters is a team. We have registered nurses. We have health educators. We have people who send equipment. We all are here for the benefit of the participant and making a healthier outcome. So, it’s very imperative that we work as a team.”
Martha H. Lead Health Educator |
| “I really enjoy LifeMasters because, I like the opportunity to make an impact on people’s lives and I enjoy the ongoing follow-up that I have with my participants and the fact that I get to see the differences occurring in their everyday life.
It’s really fun to hear a light bulb go on when you’re talking to somebody on the phone. And then you see it in their health the next time you call them. You know that they got the concept they didn’t understand before about their disease. It’s very rewarding. I find that being a nurse at LifeMasters puts more emphasis on the personal touch because of the ongoing relationship that we have with our participants. Because we call them every two weeks, we get to know them pretty well. And that personal touch makes a big difference for our participants. We hear that all the time because they say, ‘I knew you were calling today so I knew I had to have some good numbers. It makes a huge difference -- they tell me that all the time. I really look forward to the conversations that I have with my participants - and to be able to follow their progress in their health care.”
Trish D., R.N. Clinical Nurse Consultant, LifeMasters |