For education questions, whom should you call?
Colleagues help solve problems, offer good advice
Networking in the area of patient education is important for many reasons. It’s a good way to learn about new trends and what is working and what is not, says Nancy Goldstein, MPH, patient education program manager at Fairview-University Medical Center in Minneapolis.
"What is of particular help to me is to use the information I have learned from other organizations to build a case for doing something similar in our hospital. It always helps to be able to say that an innovation you are proposing for your hospital has been very successful in another organization and has helped them achieve a positive outcome for their patients and families," she says.
Goldstein often cites information she has learned from other organizations in proposals she is writing for programs at Fairview-University Medical Center. Also, networking is a way to pick up good tips on products, resources, and videotapes that others have used successfully, she says.
Health care practices change rapidly, and therefore the list of responsibilities for patient education coordinators seems to grow daily, says Linda Kocent, RN, MSN, coordinator for patient and family education at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Networking is important to stay current, to learn about resources, and to learn better ways of doing things, she says.
"It also provides peer support. The role of the coordinator of patient family education often stands alone in an institution. No one else has a job similar to yours, so you need outside colleagues to advise and support you," says Kocent.
Whenever she has a question or need to embark on some huge new project, she can start by asking colleagues questions such as:
- Do you have experience with this?
- What can you share with me?
- Do you know of anyone who is doing this?
She can then go straight to the source(s) instead of making a lot of random phone calls hoping that someone has the answer, she says.
Often she e-mails the Patednet listserv ([email protected]) to learn about who has worked on a project similar to the one she is planning. "I may then e-mail or call that person directly to have a more in-depth conversation," says Kocent.
It always helps to talk with others who have already been there, says Cynthia Latty, RN, BSN, patient education coordinator of pediatrics at Riley Children’s Hospital, Clarian Health Partners in Indianapolis.
Latty became a patient education coordinator 2½ years ago after working as a staff nurse for 17 years. Having much to learn, she turned to others in her field and received a lot of excellent, helpful information and advice from others.
"Networking with others in the field was extremely important in developing resources, strategies and processes," she says.
Because Latty shares her position with another nurse, they are able to bounce ideas off each other as well as validate thoughts and opinions, which is helpful.
Colleagues help when you need answers to questions and don’t know where to turn. They also can help to validate what you are doing, says Latty.
Often, it’s whom you know
Networking is one more way to keep abreast of what’s happening in the field of patient education, says Kathy Ordelt, RN, patient and family education coordinator at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
"It has often pointed me in a new direction, given me some great problem-solving ideas, or helped me avoid going down a road that others have tried and found unsuccessful, she says.
When Fairview-University Medical Center established a program for oncology patients, staff visited or contacted other centers in the community to learn from their successes, says Goldstein.
Currently, Riley Children’s Hospital is moving to an on-line documentation system that includes a knowledge-driven care component. "We have sought information from others who have worked with the company we are using and asked, in general, for information regarding what would be helpful to know from their experiences," says Latty.
Also, the health care institution is in the process of building a family education center. Before plans are completed, staff will visit other centers. "What we learn from them will certainly assist us in our endeavors," says Latty.
Patient education coordinators have networked with colleagues successfully in several ways. They attend conferences, stay active in their professional organizations, and participate in a listserv. "Our hospital is one of the National Cancer Institute [based in Bethesda, MD] designated centers, which means I can participate in the listserv for patient educators from those institutions. I have learned so much from that opportunity," says Goldstein.
Knowledge also can be shared through publications and books, says Ordelt. Of course, the telephone and e-mail are quick ways to get answers to questions.
"If I need an answer about something right away, I usually phone or e-mail individuals I’ve met and networked with through the years," she says.
Sources
For more information about networking, contact:
- Nancy Goldstein, MPH, Patient Education Program Manager, Fairview-University Medical Center, Harvard St. at East River Parkway, Box 603, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Telephone: (612) 273-6356. E-mail: [email protected].
- Linda Kocent, RN, MSN, Coordinator, Patient-Family Education, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 34th St. and Civic Center Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19104. Telephone: (215) 590-3661. E-mail: [email protected].
- Cynthia Latty, RN, BSN, Patient Education Coordinator, Pediatrics, Riley Children’s Hospital, Clarian Health Partners, 702 Barnhill, Indianapolis, IN, 46202. Telephone: (317) 274-8845. E-mail: [email protected].
- Kathy Ordelt, RN, Patient and Family Education Coordinator, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, 1001 Johnson Ferry Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30342. Telephone: (404) 929-8641. E-mail: [email protected].
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content