by A nurse who specializes in providing care, information and management of the patients diagnosed with diabetes is called a diabetes nurse educator.
Diabetes nurse educators can register as a nurse, APN nurse, or nurses who work with expanding role.
These nurses are specialized in maintaining patients with diabetes Type I and Type II patients.
They can also care for women diagnosed with gestational diabetes.
The diabetes education can be conducted in the one-on-one form with a single patient, or via the group.
Diabetes nurse educators inform and tech patients about signs, symptoms of diabetes including causes, pathophysiology.
Hypo and hyperglycemia are also common topics.
The importance of their education is for patients to understand the treatment and to follow the treatment plan.
Diabetes can cause the deterioration of many organs.
For example, a diabetes nurse educator teaches patients how to access their feet, wounds, ulcers because diabetes affects healing.
Also, diabetes patients need to check their eyes for retinopathy frequently and to understand the significance of routine doctor appointments.
For diabetes patients, diet and nutrition are very significant.
Diabetes nurse educators teach patients about proper nutrition, and how to read food labels, count carbohydrates calories, etc.
After a patient is diagnosed with diabetes, he or she needs to learn how to log their blood sugars and food to find out the food effects.
Logging blood sugars and proper diet is important for nurses and doctors to adjust the treatment and to help keep the patient’s blood glucose within the optimal range.
Diabetes nurse educators teach patients about prescribed medications, both oral and injectable.
Each patient must learn the time frames and effects of each medicament to be able to prevent and identify the hypoglycemia.
Treating diabetes is a multi-aspect process which involves lots of elements, and can be overwhelming for newly diagnosed patients.
Therefore, the nurses’ role is important.
Patients with the insulin-dependent condition must be familiar with insulin types to be able to act accordingly.
Another duty of a diabetes nurse educator is to track laboratory results of patients and to adjust medicaments if it is necessary.
Each patient must undergo a periodic Hemoglobin A1C check with the physician, and the nurse can help the patient to understand more about the test and significance of regular checks.
The diabetes nurse educators’ role goes beyond educating patients.
If the nurse recognizes that a patient is having issues following the treatment or understanding its condition, the nurse can include a family member to help assist the patient’s treatment.
The nurse works closely with the physician to report on any malfunctions, barriers of the patient’s response to the treatment.
The role of a diabetes nurse educator has major significance in improving outcomes, treatment, and ensuring the best care for diabetes patients.
Can DPN Nurses be Referred to as Doctors?