Cardiac Peer Mentor: Nancy Eastman
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Nancy Eastman |
Nancy Eastman is one of the pioneer Cardiac Peer Mentors at Concord Hospital in New Hampshire. After completing the standard rehabilitation program, following cardiac bypass surgery, Nancy enrolled in a special twenty-week course called "Take Heart" that the hospital offered to patients and providers. During that group experience, it became clear that the patients who had experienced heart surgery had something valuable to share with other heart surgery patients. Thus, the Cardiac Peer Mentor Program was born. In 2001, Nancy and four other volunteer patient mentors, along with Dr. Paul Uhlig, (a cardiothoracic surgeon, who is now Vice President of Quality and Innovation at University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio) and Addie Camelio, a Concord Hospital social worker, started this program.
The primary focus of the Cardiac Peer Mentor Program is the one-on-one contact between peer mentors and newer cardiac patients. The patient mentors visit hospitalized heart patients and answer non-medical questions concerning cardiac surgery and recovery from the surgery. Mentors may make one or more follow-up phone calls to the patients or their families. In some instances, the patients or their family may initiate follow-up telephone contact with the Mentor. The number of contacts varies, depending on the expressed needs of the individual patient and his or her family.
The Cardiac Peer Mentor Program also includes monthly meetings. The peer mentors, other cardiac patients, the social worker and, sometimes, the cardiac surgeons, meet to share information and support. The monthly meetings provide an opportunity to have speakers give presentations on topics relevant to the group, such as a nutritionist discussing diet and lowering cholesterol, and a cardiac surgeon speaking about atril fibrillation. Anyone attending the monthly meetings is welcome to suggest speakers and topics for future meetings.
The Cardiac Peer Mentors reviewed and suggested changes to the updated cardiac education materials. The Cardiac Peer Mentors' invaluable insight, as experienced cardiac surgery patients, resulted in educational materials that are more accessible, accurate, and useful to patients. A three ring binder is given to patients admitted for cardiac procedures describing, among other things, cardiac catheterization, bypass surgery, valve replacement, recovery, resuming a healthy lifestyle, and potential lifestyle changes.
The Cardiac Peer Mentor Program benefits new and seasoned patients in several ways. Mentors provide support and information to new patients and their families about the process of cardiac surgery from the patient perspective, including recovery after surgery, differences between patients, and some patients may even want to see what the scar looks like. Nancy remembers one instance when the patient wasn't receptive to talking with her but the patient's adult children were. Nancy was able to answer many of their questions and provide living proof that one can be healthy following cardiac bypass surgery. According to Nancy, the people she visits generally are very appreciative. She has received flowers and thank you notes from patients and families.
The Cardiac Peer Mentor Program also benefits the hospital and is good for public relations. The mentors, by their very existence, advertise the peer mentor program, and provide a positive image of the hospital as an institution that provides patient- and family-centered care.
And the mentors benefit as well. Each visit to a new patient reminds Nancy of her own recovery progress and reconfirms her conviction to keep herself healthy. The group of mentors has a strong bond and gives each other a tremendous amount of support. For example, the mentors encourage each other to get necessary follow-up for their own medical situations. They also keep each other informed and up-to-date on medical advances and changing protocols.
The Cardiac Peer Mentor Volunteer Group has grown and changed since its inception. Four of the original mentors are still involved in the program, and others have joined. Often new mentors are self-selected from among the patients who attend the monthly support meetings.
A peer mentor must possess several characteristics, including being a good listener and being able to provide factual information clearly. Generally, the mentors do not serve as advocates for the patient or family. Rather they encourage the patient and family to advocate for themselves. The mentors encourage the patients to "take charge of their own recovery." Occasionally, if a mentor believes that some advocacy or intervention is necessary, the mentor will discuss those concerns with the social worker. This does not happen frequently.
One of the challenges of keeping a program such as this alive is sustaining the patient- and family-centered focus while adapting to changes in hospital personnel and policies. Individuals have varying administrative goals, and bring diverse experiences to their definition of patient- and family-centered care. For example, at times, the mentors have had unrestricted access to cardiac patients; at other times the mentors' contact with patients has been more limited and controlled.
When asked for advice for other developing programs/projects that may be faced with institutional resistance, Nancy noted how important it is to recognize that change is difficult. "It is best to proceed slowly and bring as many people into the planning process as possible." Be sure to keep communication as open as possible throughout the process. Be aware that sometimes those who are not a part of the group advocating for change may feel like outsiders, so invite people into the process. Most importantly, "just keep doing the right thing!"
Nancy Eastman, who is married and has two grown children, is a retired teacher and a Certified Reading Specialist. She taught elementary school for many years, and also taught at the college and graduate level. Nancy is a graduate of Keene State College in New Hampshire, and earned her Masters Degree in Education from Boston University. Since Nancy's planned retirement in 2000, she enjoys traveling with her husband, her volunteer work as a Cardiac Peer Mentor, as well as spinning (indoor cycling) and church work.