More than 8 percent of Americans have diabetes and three times that number have pre-diabetes and are at high risk for developing diabetes within 10 years, according to 2011 statistics from the American Diabetes Association. Nurses who specialize in diabetes educate their clients about their disease, teach diabetics how to manage their diet and help them keep their blood-glucose levels within the desired parameters. Clients who work with diabetes nurse educators have lower A1C levels, which measure blood-glucose management during a two to three-month period, according to Johns Hopkins Health Alert.
Nurses who specialize in diabetes educate their clients. Newly diagnosed diabetics often have many misconceptions about what they can eat and how diabetes will affect their lives. Because diabetes is largely a disease of self-management, clients have a great deal of power over their condition if they learn techniques to lower blood glucose. Learning about early signs of potential complications can also help diabetics ward off more serious consequences. Diabetic nurse educators might also run support groups for diabetics and sponsor health fairs to educate the public about diabetes and to test blood glucose levels.
Diabetes nurse educators often manage their client's diabetic care, under the supervision of a physician. While your doctor might diagnose your diabetes and prescribe medication, many doctors send their patients to a diabetic nurse educator for follow up on diet and everyday management issues. A diabetes nurse educator generally has more time to spend per patient than a physician and can address lifestyle issues in depth. Professionals in this field concentrate on helping clients adjust behaviors relating to eating well, staying physically active, monitoring their blood glucose levels, taking medication, coping with the stress of diabetes and reducing risks.
Diabetes educators also educate their peers, including hospital staff members. This may be done on a formal or informal basis, through hospital-sponsored seminars or through everyday interactions with staff members
Becoming a Diabetes Nurse Educator
Certified diabetes nurse educators take courses that increase their knowledge base of current diabetes treatment. After taking the prescribed courses, nurses take certification tests that evaluate their knowledge. Board-certified diabetes nurse educators must have a master's degree or higher and at least 500 hours of clinical practice within the past four years. Nurses without a master's degree can obtain a certificate in diabetes education by taking online courses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that jobs for health educators in general will increase 37 percent between 2010 and 2020, which is a higher-than-average rate.
- Joslin Diabetes Center: An Interview with Stacey O’Donnell, a Diabetes Nurse Educator
- Johns Hopkins Health Alerts: Meet the Diabetes Nurse Educator
- American Association of Diabetes Educators: Board Certified- Advanced Diabetes Management Certification
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetes Statistics
- University of South Carolina Lancaster: The Diabetes Education Clinic
- American Association of Diabetes Educators: Role of the Diabetes Educator
- American Diabetes Association: Prediabetes FAQs
- American Association of Diabetes Educators: Career Path Certificate Program
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Health Educators
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