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Compassionate
Dedicated
Educator
Encourager
Hope-Inspiring
Listener
Passionate

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With the US obesity prevalence surpassing 42% in recent years (CDC, 2021), it's fair to say that we are all impacted by it one way or another. As a registered nurse working in the primary care setting since 2006, I have seen firsthand that obesity goes hand-in-hand with chronic disease. Obesity is commonly known to increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease, but it actually affects the entire human body. Obesity is also associated with increased risk of 13 types of cancer and accounts for 40% of all diagnosed cancers (CDC Newsroom, 2016). As a health and weight loss coach for last 10 years, I have witnessed the many health improvements that come with weight loss and lifestyle change.

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Aim to Improve Quality of Life
Empower Others
Influence Positive Change
Offer Hope

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For the last 10 years I have been meeting with individual patients providing personalized nutrition coaching and disease-specific health education. I have helped guide their goal setting, created strategies focused on healthy habits and lifestyle behaviors, and celebrated their goal achievements. In addition, I have taught educational workshops on various health and wellness topics and led health-related support groups.

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Last year I began volunteering with the local food bank as I heard they were struggling to maintain enough volunteers to process all the daily donations. Fresh produce donations from local stores have to be sorted immediately upon arrival in order to be properly distributed same day. When volunteers don't show up for the day, these fresh fruits and vegetables were being sent to a local hog farmer. I gathered friends to join me and we filled the gaps in the volunteer schedule, ensuring that all the fresh produce was processed daily and ready for community members to receive. I also helped implemented a color-coded labeling system for all the non-perishable goods that indicated which products contained low, moderate, or high amounts of added sugars. Products with high amount of added sugars were placed on the bottom shelves and the no or low sugar products were placed at eye level. It has been my privilege to use my educational and personal experiences working in health and wellness to meet a tangible need in my community that helps to increase the health of the least privileged members of our society.

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In 2013, a study commissioned by Walden University identified six types of social change agents and the one that I identify the most with is the Faith-Based Giver (Walden University, 2021).  As a Christian, I believe God created me for specific works and He has a plan for my life. I know that I can make a difference in the lives of others. I believe my personality, interests, and skills are all instrumental in how He uses me in this world to fulfill His plans. Faith-based individuals and groups have long been known for advocating for social change and addressing health inequalities and it is my faith that drives me to impact change. (Maynard, 2017).

In order to make the greatest impact I can on other members of my society, my health has to come first. I cannot serve others if my health-status or weight prevents me from being active as a nurse, educator and caregiver. It was during my own quest to establish a healthy lifestyle after struggling with post-pregnancy weight issues that I first gained an interest for nutrition education. Around that same time I was given the opportunity to launch a health and wellness program. Over the last 10 years, it has been my privilege to educate and inspire patients towards healthy and active lifestyles supporting longevity and disease prevention. More than 1500 patients have come through my program and it has been an honor to help each of them get off the sidelines of life and regain lost freedoms.

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My identity as a faith-inspired giver reflects both my current and my future social social change goals. I have always felt called to serve others since I was a young girl. It was while serving as a missionary in Africa, caring for AIDS/HIV patients, that I was originally inspired to become a nurse. As a missionary in 3rd world countries, I saw the immense need for skilled nurses. Many of the nurses I worked with in Africa had poor training and education. I saw an opportunity for improvement and sought to become a nurse so that I could return and make a greater impact on the health of patients in those countries. My goals have expanded and I have a new goal of becoming a nurse practitioner because I know I can make an even greater impact here in the U.S. as well as abroad in 3rd world countries as an ARNP. My drive to achieve these goals is rooted in my faith and personal desire to honor God with excellence in all that I do. It is my desire to bless others with kindness, love, and care rooted in humility.

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Advocating For Social Change is the Responsibility of the Nursing Professional

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Advocating For Social Change is the Responsibility of the Nursing Professional

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No one is better suited to advocate for social change than nurses.  Not only are we the most trusted profession in America, but there are 4 million of us, making up the largest sector of the health profession (Campaign for Action, 2021).

Nurses are involved in so many different areas of society, including clinics and hospitals, schools, prisons, nursing home and assistant living facilities, workplaces, community events, and even individual homes. Nurses are involved with political organizations that are actively making collective and systematic changes for the greater good of communities. An example of this is The Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action, which is a nationwide initiative designed to transform health and healthcare through nursing to help people live longer and healthier lives. Campaign for Action collaborates with nurses, providers, educators, and businesses across the country to improve access to care and increase quality of care provided to patients.

Nurses are extraordinary. Our focus is on service to others and we share a genuine desire to help others and make a real difference in society. Advocating for social change is part of our calling and our individual and collective impact on society is huge!

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CDC Newsroom. (2016, January 1). CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1003-vs-cancer-obesity.html#:%7E:text=Cancers%20Associated%20with%20Overweight%20and,States%20%7C%20CDC%20Online%20Newsroom%20%7C%20CDC

Obesity is a Common, Serious, and Costly Disease. (2021, June 7). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html

Maynard M. J. (2017). Faith-Based Institutions as Venues for Obesity Prevention. Current obesity reports, 6(2), 148–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-017-0257-8

Walden University. (2021, March 25). New Walden University Study Reveals Six Distinct Types of Social Change Agents Around the World. News & Events | Walden University. https://www.waldenu.edu/news-and-events/walden-news/2013/1210-waldenu-reveals-social-change-agents

Future of Nursing: Homepage. (2021, June 22). Campaign for Action. https://campaignforaction.org/