There is no better way for me to tie my love for health and holistic wellness than by doing it as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Over the past 15yrs, I have worked in the acute care, urgent care, primary care, retail healthcare settings, and have provided numerous local community healthcare services. As a nurse, I am trained to take care of patients in a holistic, non-judgmental, caring manner regardless of their background on any level.
There is no surprise that many of the chronic diseases we see today such as Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease, Hyperlipidemia, and Cancer are linked to our diets. My approach to patients has always been for them to be advocates of their own health; encouraging them to take responsibility and accountability to live their best healthy lives. My biggest obstacle to this has been having the time to provide the necessary coaching and discussions with patients about behavior and lifestyle modification in the short and rushed medical office visit. In the 15-20minute office visit, patients are often told by their healthcare provider of their lack of exercise, sedentary lifestyles, increased weight, or other habits that are leading to a decline their health. Patients are then left unable to make the necessary changes on their own that will last. It has been my biggest interest to help bridge the gap between that of the office visit and real life. It has been my biggest interest to take things a step further and provide health coaching to patients outside the medical visit. I enjoy helping others set goals, realizing their own potential, and achieving those goals. It’s imperative that we bring back the missing element in healthcare of accountability.
Today’s average family is busy juggling a 40 plus hour work week, children, homework, afterschool activities, etc. It is important for me to assess the daily life and stressors of patients in their natural setting to be of the most help in getting them achieve lifestyle change. A stay at home mother of 2 toddlers will have a different eating pattern than the single woman working a corporate job 5 days per week. Because life is hectic and unpredictable, I offer a flexible partnership to patients who are seeking more in-depth knowledge to achieve their health and Weight Management goals with face to face sessions, online sessions, e-mails, telephone, etc. that will work best for them.
Bridging this gap has never been so critical. I am just excited that I can enjoy the best of both worlds!
Written by Janie Charlot, FNP-C- Weight Management Family Nurse Practitioner