A McGill-Trained Nurse’s Message
By Nermeen Asham, BScN, RN
Happy National Nurses’ Day!!! I’m thankful to be one and to be trained under the McGill Model of Nursing, a useful framework and a way to practice nursing that can be applied to any clinical setting; and, it is the foundation of what is known today as the Strengths-Based Nursing (SBN) Model. I still remember our professors telling us we can make a difference wherever we go and the importance of advancing the art and science of nursing through research and innovation. We learned how to be critical thinkers who use a holistic and strength-based approach as well as therapeutic communication techniques to provide compassionate care.
As a McGill-trained nurse, who is passionate about health promotion, I always want to make a positive difference in people’s lives, whether as a bedside nurse, nurse team leader, assistant director of nursing on a unit, nurse care manager, health coach, nurse advisor, project nurse, or weight loss consultant. In promoting healthy behaviors to improve the quality of life, one of my goals is to help others know that there is science behind obesity and its management and treatment is not simply “eating less and moving more”. Although we may not have clinical rotations in bariatrics nor do we learn about obesity medicine, my hope is that more people would realize that obesity is a serious, chronic, progressive, and complex medical condition, like any other. And, a patient’s weight must be assessed, monitored, managed, and treated using a comprehensive and science-based approach, which results in successful and sustainable weight loss. Failure to diagnose, treat, and monitor obesity or having bias or discrimination is unacceptable and unethical. It is the same as failure to diagnose, treat, and monitor coronary artery disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and other chronic medical conditions.
As healthcare professionals, we never learned to leave our patients with a BP of 180/100, or a fasting blood sugar level of 130 mg/dL, or a HbA1c of 15%, or total cholesterol of 300 mg/dL, or oxygen saturation of 85%, or a pain score of 10/10, etc; or to leave our patients in need of a referral to see a trusted specialist. Also, we were not taught to blame our patients or judge them for their medical conditions. So why should we leave our patients having a BMI of ≥ 30.0 kg/m² or a BMI of 25.0 kg/m² — 30.0 kg/m² with an abnormal body fat percentage, putting them at risk for many comorbidities? Why should they receive biased treatment? We all need to show more compassion to those dealing with obesity because it is not their fault.
My mission at Unraveling Obesity is that our screening tools (for children, adolescents, adults, as well as primary care providers) will help raise awareness about the importance of recognizing obesity as a complex and multifactorial medical condition and will be a starting point for the provider opening up that delicate conversation about weight. Our goals include: to [1] share the truth about obesity and underscore the importance of this medical condition that needs to be treated by primary care physicians (PCPs) and/or obesity medicine specialists; [2] reinforce the fact that obesity is a chronic disease yet treatable using a 4 pillar medical framework; [3] encourage patients who are struggling with pre-obesity or obesity to seek professional help; [4] help patients have a healthy relationship with food, break the cycle of emotional eating, and overcome obesity; [5] help PCPs treat weight or refer their patients with pre-obesity and those who are at “high-risk for obesity” to obesity-certified specialists; and [6] provide PCPs with educational material from credible sources about obesity medicine and management to help them with their patients who are suffering from pre-obesity or obesity. Unraveling Obesity’s screening tool will ultimately help patients and healthcare professionals realize the importance of taking a preventive approach, which can improve one’s metabolic health and quality of life.
Let’s all make a positive difference every day as we help patients celebrate success and cope with any challenge. And may we always remember Maya Angelou’s quote: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
