RGN (NMC Registration: 7912568E)

BA(Hons) Public Sector Studies (Health)

MSc Professional and Policy Studies

Hello, let me tell you a bit about myself. I have worked full-time in diabetes-related work since 1994, and really enjoy meeting the challenges it brings. In 1996, I attended a course in Sweden to learn about using an empowerment approach to diabetes care, and that course changed my practice and my life. Learning how important it is to 'enter the world' of someone with diabetes instead of sitting on either side of an invisible barrier in my consultations opened up a new world for me, and has influenced all my work and my approach to diabetes since that time. I have written below about the initiatives of which I am most proud.

In1995, a year after I became a diabetes facilitator, I founded the National Diabetes Facilitators Group, as there were many other professionals employed in similar roles but with very little guidance and support available to us. We met regularly, and during the time I was involved, we were able to provide support for each other, set up and run national courses for others, and produce written materials to support and clarify our roles.

In diabetes nursing, I was a committee member of the Royal College of Nursing Diabetes Nursing Forum from 1996 to 1999, and was able to have input into many developments to help nurses in all types of work be more successful in caring for diabetes.

I was involved in the earliest discussions about developing a diabetes journal with SB Communications Group, and worked closely with them to set up the Journal of Diabetes Nursing in 1996, and was then an editorial board member for a number of years. This was the first peer-reviewed diabetes journal to focus specifically on helping nurses share their experiences and learn from each other. I was also involved with the same publishing group in developing the Diabetes and Primary Care journal, which I initially co-edited and for which I developed an accredited continuing education supplement for general practitioners and community nurses. I am proud of being involved in both these journals and they continue to be two of the most useful diabetes journals around today.

As I have already mentioned, a course I attended in 1996 changed the way I approached diabetes care. This course seemed so important that I worked with my colleague, Sue Cradock, to set up a similar course in the UK entitled Learning for Life: An empowerment approach to diabetes care. We ran this course at various venues across the UK, mainly for diabetes specialist nurses, and many of the courses we now run at Successful Diabetes continue to use techniques and materials from the original course.

I have also set up two modules at Masters level within the medical school at the University of Warwick. The modules are Theory and Practice of Insulin Initiation, of which I am still the module leader, and also Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion: Principles and Practice. My input ensured that these courses have a very practical base at the same time as helping participants to gain academic accreditation.

I was offered the opportunity of writing a story about my experiences of using an empowerment approach in my work, and was proud to have that story published in The Art of Empowerment by Bob Anderson and Marti Funnell. I would highly recommend this as one of the most useful books to help any practitioner understand how empowerment can be integrated into day to day practice in diabetes care. More recently, Bob and Marti included another of my stories in their book 1,000 years of diabetes wisdom. It is incredible to feel part of a world-wide initiative to help people reflect on their practice and learn new ways of working to make life better for people with diabetes.

So that's me - if you haven't already done so, don't forget to check out Rosie's personal profile!