I recently read a story that was blunt about the contradictions of being an obese health care provider. I don’t consider myself overweight or obese, but maintaining a weight I am happy with is an ongoing challenge. Dr. Nick Yphantides, who says that he lost over 250 pounds, got tired of telling patients, “Do as I say, not as I do,” and realized that he needed to change if he expected patients to take his message to heart.

Nurses are teachers in the most basic sense. We often take advantage of “teachable moments” with our patients on a variety of topics. One of our primary roles is that of educator. As a student, I found myself most drawn to teachers I could relate to—those that “walked their talk.” One of my favorite professors taught my psych rotation both in the classroom and in the clinical setting. She made our rotation interesting, not scary, and was an amazing role model on many levels. I remember her as calm, intelligent, and empathetic. She was also stylish and fit. As a 19-year-old student, I thought she was pretty cool. One of my first positions after the highly recommended but dreaded “year in med-surg” was as a staff nurse in a psychiatric unit. I loved it, and often found myself drawing on past […]