Today was the last day of the three-part diabetes class "Diabetes and You" that my Capstone group organized along with the help of a Certified Diabetes Educator and a Registered Dietitian, and this class provided a wonderful end to a very successful series. Today, the FPB students opened the class with a segment on foot care before moving on to discussing diabetes medications.
The biggest hurdle we faced when planning these classes was recruiting patients. Classes like this had been held at Otis Moss before, but with very poor turn outs. When we set out to do this project, we considered the best way to motivate patients to attend the classes. We utilized a system of posting flyers in neighborhood churches and convenience stores as well as in newsletters, but we also pinpointed specific patients who had consistently elevated Hemoglobin A1C readings. Patients we couldn't reach by phone were sent a letter explaining their A1C results and their meanings, and then inviting them to the class. Many patients confirmed their attendance via phone in the weeks ahead of the class.
There is a consistent 50% "no-show" rate in the area, so we were slightly apprehensive about what kind of a turn out we would get. Combining that with heavy rain on two of the three class days, prospects did not look promising. Our preceptor also warned us to only expect half of the people we had confirmed for each class. We were pleasantly surprised when we had over 15 patients attend each class!
The classes sparked great discussion between the patients and healthcare providers about how to manage their diabetes, and after collecting the evaluations at the end of each class, we had many positive reviews, including "This is the best class I've ever taken" and "Please have more of these [classes]". I think that through these classes patients were motivated to take charge of their healthcare and make lifestyle changes. Today we asked patients what they had been doing differently since the first class, and many said that they had started reading food labels more frequently and were counting carbohydrates at each meal. One patient said that he had started a daily jogging routine!
Through these classes, we have provided the staff at Otis Moss a template about how to host and plan a diabetes class like this in the future, so that the Fairfax neighborhood can continue to have better outcomes regarding diabetes management. I have also learned a great deal about planning large projects and utilizing multiple resources to educate patients. I have really enjoyed my time at Otis Moss and will be able to look back and use what I have learned to impact my future practice in a positive way.
During my search for Colleges in Pennsylvania for nursing I heard so much about how terrible the capstone can be. I heard it drives some people into madness, but gives a great sense of accomplishment after someone finishes it. I hope that I can space mine out during the end of my senior year because I want to enjoy some of the time I have left as a person who doesn't have a real life.
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