A Study on the Diabetes Pathway
A 3-module B. Sc top-up degree programme in Diabetic Pathway undertaken at the Birmingham City University over a six-month period (November 2015 -April 2016), facilitated by the Florence Nightingale Scholarship Foundation, cannot be more timely and impactful in any measure. First, it improved my knowledge, skill, confidence, perspective and practice in diabetes nursing, and revolutionised my approach to managing residents with diabetes in care home setting in order to avoid complications and the unnecessary aftermath. More than that, it has encouraged management to initiate changes, including recent consideration to appoint a specialist diabetic nurse to supervise treatment and care of diabetic residents in the Care Home for improved care in that specific area. And all within a period of 18 months of programme execution.
Much of this has been due to my determined desire helped by an enabling environment to apply my newly acquired knowledge and skill through practice, and an education programme, (a three-phase presentation) that involved trained nurses and key health practitioners in the various units in my care home after my course. It was presented as an awareness programme that highlighted the growing cases of diabetes-mellitus, the consequences of poor management, and strategies for preventing them.
The benefits of programmes of this nature should not be seen only in terms of the fulfilled staff enjoying in-service training, who are encouraged to pursue their dreams, but also improved practice cultivated that directly impacts patients’ care as a result of training gained. My experience show that organisations like mine, BUPA, and in this case Ryland View Care Home, do improve by implementing new ideas that come from learned experiences which staff bring with them after attending training courses, which are evidence-based, typical of what I have gone through.
In terms of skills, the training exposed me to different insulin used in managing diabetes such as short acting, intermittent and long acting insulin. Some are mixed with the strength as mixed, their onset of action, duration of action and their pick of action. There are new insulin analogue such as degludec; an insulin analogue that has less risk of hypoglycaemia is given once daily and it is recommended by NICE (NICE Evidence 2015).
The programme delivery in terms of content, faculty, presentation, participation and final outcome met the university standard that the Foundation will be happy with. From the Foundation I was allocated a mentor, in the person of Professor Debbie Carrick-Sen, who was always available to offer help and guidance whenever I needed it and this made all the difference in the final outcome of completing the programme as planned.
My studies focused on Diabetes Mellitus with its associated complications, and current diabetes issues across different health care settings. My full report is presented in three major sections; the background, which includes the objectives of the scholarship, the course work and action plan implementation, and finally conclusions and recommendations with reflections on the programme impact, especially how it impacted on my professional development as well as my organisation. Possible lessons to be learned for the UK are also incorporated and not the least, how patients will benefit from the programme.
Obviously, there are lessons to be learned from the scheme by the various stakeholders: the student as a participant beneficiary, the sponsoring organisation, the foundation and indeed the UK. How these stakeholders evaluate the outcome is critical to the ultimate success that The Florence Nightingale Foundation posts as an on-going concern established to improve the Nursing profession in the UK and in the world generally. The Birmingham City University provided a good learning environment and the foundation made my pursuit of my dream possible in the time I desired it. Undertaking this course has truly improved my knowledge and skill on diabetes management as it has built my confidence and competency both in the care of my residents and to challenge bad practices. This has been a great study experience, which has proved a great value in my 28-year nursing career. Now it is my time to give back to society and it will be my pleasure doing that.