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Letter: Lend support to the golden geese of diabetes nursing

Eileen Padmore

Many thanks to the group of DSNs who wrote the excellent comment article ‘DSNs: Are you a sheep, a queen bee or a goose?’ (Journal of Diabetes Nursing 2(4): 127).

Sometimes I think that we are not so much medically driven as medical copyists. To follow the medical model is the quick fix, easy option. Unfortunately that not only disempowers patients but also the doctors with whom we work. They are trained into a diagnostic/prescriptive focus of care which often must seem like a straight jacket.

One way out is to work alongside enlightened DSNs who have confidence in their roles as proactive health professionals and who can provide alternative perspectives on patient behaviour and management. It can be tough to do this against the healthy cynicism and scepticism bred into most diabetologists!

For this reason alone it is vital that we look for good leaders and support them. What chance have any of us if we attack the ‘goose’ who moves to the front or fail to recognise when they are exhausted and it is someone else’s turn to lead?

Let’s get into the air and start flying! There are exciting roles on the horizon for specialist nurses but we still have a long way to go.

Many thanks to the group of DSNs who wrote the excellent comment article ‘DSNs: Are you a sheep, a queen bee or a goose?’ (Journal of Diabetes Nursing 2(4): 127).

Sometimes I think that we are not so much medically driven as medical copyists. To follow the medical model is the quick fix, easy option. Unfortunately that not only disempowers patients but also the doctors with whom we work. They are trained into a diagnostic/prescriptive focus of care which often must seem like a straight jacket.

One way out is to work alongside enlightened DSNs who have confidence in their roles as proactive health professionals and who can provide alternative perspectives on patient behaviour and management. It can be tough to do this against the healthy cynicism and scepticism bred into most diabetologists!

For this reason alone it is vital that we look for good leaders and support them. What chance have any of us if we attack the ‘goose’ who moves to the front or fail to recognise when they are exhausted and it is someone else’s turn to lead?

Let’s get into the air and start flying! There are exciting roles on the horizon for specialist nurses but we still have a long way to go.

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