Leading medication/illness education groups

Davey Do · Jan 5, 2011

tfehr:

You are probably looking for someone to give you an response like everyquestionanswered.com. However, this website boasts its motto as "Nurses talking about nursing", so I'm gonna discuss your enquiry from my own viewpoint. Okay?

I've attended and have done a multitude of groups, discussions, and lectures over the years. There's one common denominator that has always struck me about the Presentation and the Presenter: How much did that Individual believe in the information they were presenting?

We've all had Instructors who presented information like it was a laundry list: Factual and Lifeless. Sometimes that's good. I didn't want to be entertained when I took Microbiology. I merely wanted to understand the facts. So I was glad to have an instructor who just regurgitated the necessary information.

Now, you're wanting to hold the interests of a group of high functioning Individuals on some topics they may or may not be interested in. You already have a few good ideas in making the lecture like a Game Show or such. I say, "Go with it!" If that's interesting to you, it's likely to be interesting to them.

In identifying with your plight, I had a similar circumstance while Working at Mental Health Clinic some years ago. I was assigned to give a two hour lecture, from 8 to 10 am, to a Group of Individuals who were involved in Court-Ordered Treatment. Former Drug Abusers are not the prettiest bunch the first thing in the morning. Luckily, I was allowed to choose the Topic and I called the Lecture "The Body and Its Response to Alcohol and Drugs".

I made a life-sized potrait of a Human Being showing the CNS and Digestive System out of a piece of 1/2 inch plywood. I would give the basic Anatomy and Physiology and talked bout how Chemicals affected the normal body processes. I often used my DJ voice and used a Family Feud approach when someone got the right answer: *DING!* YES! "That's the number one answer! Alcohol kills brain cells!" I would take bets on how liquid gets to the stomach- gravity? I would ask for an assistant, stand on my head, and drink juice out of a cup with a straw. And I would always say, "Let's give my beautiful assistant a hand!" whether they were female or male.

I used what a I knew, and made it entertaining for everyone. When I was informed by my Supervisor that no breaks were to be taken, I reacted accordingly: I would continue to lecture as we took 10 to 15 minute walks. If some needed to use the restroom, then the body's method of getting rid of waste products was discussed. If they smoked, they had to recount how nicotine affected the cardiovascular system, etc.

This all didn't come into fruition overnight. It took an Organic Course, growing and changing with the Audience and Times. And not every Group was great. But I always met the Goal: Relay Information.

So, to make a short answer long, tfehr, do a Group that will entertain you as much as it will your Participants. I often learned as much from the People I lectured as they may have learned from me.

Good luck to you.

Dave

tfehr · Jan 10, 2011

Thank you so much!! Really appreciate your input!