Helping others to understand diabetes better, brings me joy. It’s time to pass on all I have learned! As a nurse with special interest, I am absolutely passionate about ensuring people with Long Term Conditions, especially Diabetes, receive high quality care.To do this I have spent years studying throughout my career, developing my personal knowledge and skills so that I am better able to apply th
em in clinical practice and also to provide high quality education for other healthcare professionals. Since 2007, I worked freelance for "Education for Health" (based in Warwick) to provide education at various levels, from workshops to Level 5 diploma and Level 6 degree level modules in Diabetes as a Cardiovascular Disease. From 2004 I delivered DESMOND courses for people with Type 2 diabetes in Sheffield, where I live, through a Nationally approved Structured Education Programme (DESMOND stands for Diabetes Education and Self Management for Ongoing and Newly Diagnosed). I never got bored of this as I loved the "light bulb moments" when people suddenly realise that managing their diabetes has a lot to do with common sense and it's not rocket science! I have extensive experience of facilitating learning as I also spent 5 years travelling the length and breadth of the country when I was a National Trainer and Assessor of the diabetes educators that run DESMOND courses. I left that role in 2015, when I temporarily held the role of a Diabetes Specialist Nurse in Stockport, covering a maternity leave. I was so thankful I was able to try this role as it was one I had always thought I wanted, but had eluded me. Every thing happens for a reason, as I soon realised I much preferred working in primary care, so at that the end of that contract, I bravely left the safety of my NHS role. I have absolutely no regrets and haven't looked back, as since I created my my own company "Sonia Willis Ltd" in October of 2015, I work totally freelance providing my clinical and educational services, even at the GP surgery I work at every week in Rotherham. I can honestly say I haven't been busier, so much so that I have so far been unable to really develop the idea of "DiabEasy as 123". This ironic concept came to me in my sleep one night a few years ago. Ironic, because although a lot about managing diabetes is common knowledge, (1) taking regular physical activity, (2) eating a balanced, healthy diet, and (3) following a treatment plan if on medication; doing all that every day for the rest of your life is actually NOT that EASY! However, the concept of 1,2, 3, applies in other ways to diabetes, such as the 3 complications that affect the small blood vessels, the 3 complications that affect the large blood vessels. The 3 factors that must be managed well in diabetes, Blood Glucose, Blood Pressure and Cholesterol. So maybe I should have called my second business "Not as DiabEasy as 123"? During lockdown I designed an online Diabetes Foundation course on Behalf of Rotherham Respiratory which is accessible via their website.
