A north-east parent who cares for her disabled son shared her experience with Robert Gordon University (RGU) pharmacy students this semester to raise awareness of the work done to manage complex health conditions.
Tracy Johnstone, Chair of the Board of Directors at Charlie House, gave a guest lecture to fourth year students to highlight the need for health professionals to work closely with patients and carers on the management of care packages.
Launched in 2013, Charlie House is a north-east based children's charity which supports children and young people with complex disabilities and life limiting conditions.
In her lecture, Tracy shared her experience of caring for her seven year old son Louis who was born with life limiting medical conditions.
Dr Antonella Tonna from RGU’s School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences has known Tracy for several years and invited her to deliver a guest lecture to students on the Specialised Pharmaceutical Care module.
It was nominated for and awarded “Outstanding Module” at the 2015 I Love My Lecturer Awards which was organised by the university’s Student Association.
Mrs Johnstone said: “It was great to be asked to come in and speak to the students and share my experience as a parent and carer for a child with complex health care needs.
“It’s important for students to be aware of patients like Louis so they can understand the challenges we face as well as the involvement we have with health care professionals
“We have to manage a complex network of medical information and make sure that the right people have access to it when needed.
“I also stressed the importance of team work and communication with the family as they are the experts on their child. Everyone works hard to try and make the child as healthy and happy as possible.”
Mrs Johnstone is in regular contact with a number of medical consultants, including neurology, respiratory, and renal, as well as a community paediatrician and a community pharmacist.
She said: “Our community pharmacist is always available to answer any questions we have about Louis’ medications and how they interact with each other, especially if a new medication has been prescribed or proposed.
“They’re also very good at communicating with us if something has changed and keep stock back so there’s always a minimum supply available for us in case something goes wrong.”
Dr Tonna said: “Having guest speakers like Tracy who are happy to meet our students and share their experiences is a great way for them to learn about real-life challenges and what they may face in the work place.
“It is very important for the students to understand patient centred care and listen to the patient or carer as no-one can tell you about the condition better than those involved.
“Hearing experiences from the perspective of the patient or carer can be very effective, the students will never forget, and it helps them to become better health care professionals.”