Description
The current intervention program was aimed at helping pilots manage their body weight concerning the specifics of their working schedule and conditions. Within the framework of the intervention, five pilots were recruited as participants.
The intervention lasted for twelve weeks, during which all the pilots’ body parameters were measured and assessed regularly. Also, the participants’ eating and exercising habits were analyzed as per their effectiveness and potential contribution to obesity. As a part of the program, the pilots were provided with nurse’s recommendations, self-monitoring forms, customized meal plans, and dietary recommendations, as well as exercise instructions both on and off work. As for the nurses’ participation, they were presented with some workshop-based information regarding obesity management in the target population.
All of the participants were recruited at the stage when they needed to pass clinic health assessments to renew their aviation licenses. The pilots had issues with weight that obstructed their health and required timely addressing to enable them to work. One of the five participating pilots was a 53-year old male from Croatia. As of September 2019, his body parameters were as follows: body weight – 266 lbs, height – 177 cm, neck measurement – 42 cm, waist measurement – 129 cm. In addition, this participant had complaints concerning his general health quality and suffered from hyperlipidemia. His medical license was in danger of suspension; the patient was referred to consulting cardiologist, endocrinologist, and ENT specialist, which is why the patient was under stress. His health was further tested according to the standards of the aviation authority.
Overall, the participant was admitted to a body weight-management program to decrease his body parameters and improve his health. I conducted a 60-minute face-to-face interview with the pilot, during which I instructed him about the program features, such as meal plan, exercising routine, food preparation, and portion monitoring. Stress management was discussed in detail since the patient showed a significant level of concern related to the high-stress level related to both his work in general and the issue with the license suspension in particular.
I used the means of motivational interviewing to empower the pilots, help them overcome unease, and stimulate their positive predisposition. During the interviews, as well as the following 12 weeks of interaction with the pilots, the patients repeatedly referred to me to ask questions and search support.
Feelings
At the initial stage of the intervention, when the face-to-face interview took place, I felt nervous. When consulting the pilot with excessive body weight and health issues, I anticipated an increased level of concern from the patient’s side and was brainstorming the ideas to facilitate communication with him. I felt sorry for him because of the impact of working conditions on his health and well-being and tried to provide my support.
The pilot was under stress, displayed intimidation with the situation, and acted very nervous. When communicating with him, at first, I felt uncertain about how to calm him down. However, as the discussion developed, I managed to concentrate his attention on the interventions and promising outcomes. I felt confident when discussing the practical aspects of the program, and it helped me to manage the client’s nervousness. At the same time, when the man asked questions, and I provided answers that showed him the solution to his problem, I saw his faith in the positive outcome of the intervention and felt happy.
As for the overall program, before the beginning, I felt uncertain and worried about the overall result. As the participants followed the plans and instructions and the nurses implemented the interventions, many questions made me worried. However, as the first positive results occurred, I felt calm and excited about the usefulness of my intervention and my ability to help people. At the end of the program, the pilots thanked me for helping them since they achieved significant results in losing weight and improving their general well-being and health, I felt satisfied and fulfilled with the fruitful work.
Evaluation
When judging my work objectively, I think I managed to achieve the main objectives of the program. Since the problem of obesity is one of the main work-related concerns in pilots’ health, the overall addressing of such a broad issue was a challenge (Sykes et al., 2012). In this regard, I significantly improved the scope of my knowledge in the sphere of healthy lifestyle changes for weight loss. Also, I strengthened my leadership skills by educating and managing nurses during the program.
I also managed to achieve the set learning tasks. Firstly, I was able to identify the practice gap and effectively address it with the help of an extensive literature review and the analysis of obesity patterns. The attendance of an online course in cognitive-behavioral therapy also helped me to achieve this goal. I carried out the motivational interviewing with the patients that helped to encourage them to adhere to the routine.
Secondly, I designed a lifestyle improvement program for shift-working pilots with obesity and created a 2-hour workshop for nurses. Thirdly, I developed a weight measurement tool specifically for aviation. Finally, I carried out an extensive compliance and adherence analysis of the program, which ensured its effectiveness and broad-scale applicability. Overall, the positive feedback from the participating pilots, effective and fruitful work of nurses, and the objective decrease in health problems and body parameters of obese pilots allow for evaluating the intervention as a successful one.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
The identified inconsistency between the clinic’s available resources capable of minimizing the adverse outcomes of obesity in pilots and the actual threats were fully addressed through the intervention. I demonstrated the qualities of effective leadership by addressing the gap in nurses’ practice on the issue and organization of their work with the patients. The implementation of stress management and eating habits improvement has shown outstanding results in bodyweight reduction (Katterman et al., 2014). The program has significantly strengthened the quality of the clinic’s services and has contributed to the overall reputation of the organization. All the participants adhered to the recommendations and showed positive health and body weight results.
Weaknesses
Despite the general trends in obesity management, the psychological aspect of the problem remains individual and depends on the particularities of a person. Therefore, the specific features of the intervention related to stress-management tips are not universal and might require customization. Also, the intervention is directed primarily at the individuals working in shifts which might limit the scope of application of the weight management program.
Opportunities
The program is based on the general principles related to the causes of obesity and the prevalent behavioral patterns in weight gain, especially in particular working settings. Despite its orientation in aviation, the intervention has the potential to be modified and adjusted to the needs of other professions and environments. Also, the aspect of empowering the patients through encouraged self-management is an influential guideline for the development of similar obesity management programs.
Threats
One possible threat is related to the potential inability of the intervention to ensure the continuous effect on the pilots’ weight-related behavioral patterns after the termination of the program. It has been found that significant results might be achieved under nurses’ supervision and continuous monitoring of the patients. However, it might be challenging to ensure the patients’ adherence to the program once outside the program.
Conclusion
In summation, when implementing the lifestyle modification intervention program, I managed to complete all of my learning tasks and achieve the set objectives. In particular, I succeeded in developing an effective weight-management plan with the priority set of patients’ self-management. I also created a workshop for nurses to address their practice gap and designed an aviation-specific weight measurement. The set of materials designed for the pilots included meal and exercising plans, self-assessment forms, and recommendations related to eating and activity was extensively used and showed positive results. The nurses I supervised were devoted to the project and displayed a high level of competency.
Action Plan
Due to the prevalent nature of obesity among pilots and other professions and the threats of morbidity connected with excessive body weight, further advancement in the field of lifestyle changes for bodyweight management is required. I will continue advancing the literature review, collecting information, and investigating optional tools for program improvement. I will disseminate the results of the intervention among my colleagues across the clinic to ensure the broad application of the program. I will proceed to work on the improvement of the designed tools to ensure their applicability to spheres other than aviation.
References
Katterman, S. N., Kleinman, B. M., Hood, M. H., Nackers, L. M., & Corsica, J. A. (2014) Mindfulness meditation as an intervention for binge eating, emotional eating and weight loss: A systematic review. Eating Behaviors, 15(2), 197-204.
Sykes, A. J., Larsen, P. D., Griffiths, R. F., & Aldington, S. (2012). A study of airline pilot morbidity. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 83(10), 1001-1006.