Eliza Pillars Registered Nurses of Mississippi (EPRNM) recognizes health disparities in the community, such as diabetes and heart disease.

As part of the statewide initiative, EPRNM, District VI addressed these disparities by engaging in the PEARL Project. PEARL is an acronym for Prevention, Early Detection, Advocacy, Referral and Living Healthy. The district is also launching the forum “Living with Diabetes.”

Locally, EPRNM District VI presented the PEARL project at Zion Hill No. 1 Baptist Church and Christian Hope Baptist Church in Natchez March 30 that focused on health promotion and prevention screening.

Services provided consisted of blood pressure screening, height and weight, body mass index measurement and blood glucose screening. Brochures for public awareness of diabetes and hypertension along with healthy snacks were included in the project.

A future project planned is a diabetes panel discussion “Living With Diabetes,” taking place Saturday in the Alcorn State University MBA Lecture Hall in Natchez.

The program starts with healthy snacks at 9 a.m. The diabetes panel discussion is scheduled from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The panel participants will include a health care provider giving information about the pathophysiology, medication and treatment of diabetes. A local nutritionist will discuss nutrition and diabetes.

A nurse living with diabetes who frequently treats patients with diabetes will share her personal perspective. Other discussions include information from another adult, a teen and his mother who are living with diabetes.

“Living With Diabetes” is open to the public. This activity has been submitted to the Mississippi Nurses Foundation, Inc. for approval to award contact hours.

The Mississippi Nurses Foundation. is accredited as an approver of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

For more information, contact Sarah M. Ware at 601-442-6552.

 

Irma Lane

Jefferson County