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A collaboration is a cooperative arrangement in which the parties work jointly toward a common goal. This was certainly the initiative when I decided to team up with Helen Carcio, NP, to add pelvic floor rehabilitation and biofeedback for urinary incontinence to my house calls practice. Most of my patients in my predominately geriatric practice experience either urinary or fecal incontinence. Therefore, the addition of pelvic floor rehabilitation techniques was a natural suggestion.
I have always had an interest in urology. In fact, my very first NP job was in urology. So, when I saw Helen and her incontinence treatment practice featured in the December 2008 issue of ADVANCE for Nurse Practitioners, I was really interested in what she was doing and wanted to see how I could do what she does in my own practice. And since Helen teaches this to other NPs, I asked for help.
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| Lawson-Baker (left) with Carcio |
First Contact: Massachusetts
Helen's practice is located in South Deerfield, Mass. I took a leap of faith and traveled to a totally different culture and temperature than what I'm used to in New Orleans. For instance, when I arrived in Connecticut, I drove approximately 45 miles through several feet of snow to the tiny New England town of South Deerfield. While there, I stayed in a cozy bed and breakfast, which was a really nice change from the busy, urban, N'awlins.
The course was taught at Helen's Health and Continence Institute a few steps away from the Yankee Candle Factory. It was very informative, and after it was over, I felt well equipped to initiate a continence care program into my practice.
Second Contact: New Orleans
After I purchased the biofeedback equipment necessary, Helen came to New Orleans for a training session on the machine. This was a great time for us to learn from each other. I learned how to perform biofeedback for urinary incontinence on my clients, and she actually learned how it is to run a family practice while incorporating an incontinence program into it.
A Winning Combination
In the end, it was a win-win combination, and this is what every businesswoman wants. The overall reception of the pelvic floor rehabilitation program has been tremendous, and my patients are getting excellent results. Renting a car, driving the extra miles through the snow, and adjusting to the New England culture held a remarkable payoff for my practice.
Nurse practitioners in collaboration with each other to promote healthy patient outcomes should be a commonplace scenario. A recent Internet search for nurse practitioners collaborating with each other instead of with physicians yielded a handful of results. This collegial exchange of knowledge sans ego and power shifts between professionals should be encouraged and used often. My collaborating experience with a nationally known and well-respected continence expert was very informative and something that I look forward to experiencing again.
If you want to improve your skills or practice, look for another NP who has the knowledge you're missing -then find a way to learn from each other.
Scharmaine Lawson-Baker is a family nurse practitioner who has a doctorate of nursing practice degree. She is owner of Advanced Clinical Consultants, a house calls practice, and founder of Geriatric Initiatives, a nonprofit agency that helps homebound and disabled adults, both in New Orleans. In 2008, ADVANCE named her NP Entrepreneur of the Year.
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