Becoming a Diabetes Educator
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Monday, January 23, 2006 |
Q: "I am fascinated with diabetes and can’t seem to read enough about it. I am interested in becoming a diabetes educator—what are my first steps and where can I learn more about diabetes?"
A: I have been asked this question numerous times in various forms—from people with diabetes, family members, people working in the diabetes industry, and other health professionals--so I felt it warranted a general posting on this website. Because I don’t know your background, I will provide a variety of suggestions, so you may choose which ones apply to you.
Having been in the diabetes field for 30 years now, I can enthusiastically confirm that that the field of diabetes continues to be exciting and challenging, and offers a variety of opportunities.
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If you work in the diabetes field:
- Talk to your company’s education manager or your immediate supervisor who may be able to put you in touch with their in-house diabetes expert who may be able to provide suggestions.
- Attend the national diabetes scientific and educational meetings where you can meet thousands of diabetes educators. There are several main organizations that hold regular diabetes conferences. Please refer to the related links below.
- If you do not work in the diabetes field: there are several organizations that hold regional conferences for people with diabetes, such as Children with Diabetes and TCOYD. Attending conferences such as these would enable you to meet both the people in the diabetes industry as well as diabetes educators.
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Regardless of your background: here are some important
issues to consider:
- Most hospitals, clinics, and even industry partners require that their diabetes educators are certified—i.e. they have their CDE certificate.
- Note, however, that to qualify to take the CDE exam, you must first have a license in one of certain health-related fields, and show proof of a specific number of hours in the diabetes field. There are more details on eligibility requirements, and they are all defined at the National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) website listed below.
- Contact your local diabetes agencies: Both the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They may have information on local programs you could attend where you would meet other educators or volunteers in these organizations.
- Read the answers in the educator archives for more info about diabetes—and you will see that most answers also provide links to other helpful websites as well.
Best wishes in your pursuit in furthering your diabetes education.
Related Links
American Diabetes Association (ADA)
http://www.diabetes.org
Juvenile Research Foundation
http://www.jdrf.org
American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE)
http://www.diabeteseducator.org
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
http://www.aace.com
Council for the Advancement of Diabetes Research and Education (CADRE)
http://www.cadre-diabetes.org
Children with Diabetes
http://www.childrenwithdiabetes.com
Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (TCOYD)
http://www.tcoyd.org
National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE)
http://www.ncbde.org
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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