 |
Diabetes Education Connection
|  | | |
 |  |
|
|
|
From Guilt and Despair . . .
To "I've Got the Upper Hand!"
Practical Diabetes Education Resources Give Frontline Staff Tools to Help Clients with Diabetes
If you are a frontline health care worker dealing with clients who have diabetes, or if you are training for Diabetes Educator certification, this Guide was written for you. The other night my editor and I chatted about why I'd written the first book in 1997, and about the Second Edition, released in 2006. Have a listen . . .
"Ms. O'Grady clearly excels as an educator. Teaching tips are abundantly interspersed in the text and these represent the 'gems' of this book. They
demonstrate how complex teaching situations can be presented in simple, easily understood concepts, thereby teaching at the client's level—one of the basics of adult education." Paula Ryder, RN, BN, Diabetes Nurse Educator Anne Brooks, RN, BN, IBCLC
View sample teaching tips!
"It is exactly what I was looking for."
Gary Lutz, B. Pharm.
A. Because of the need. People were having to travel to the larger centres because there were no programs in their areas. Some didn't have the time or couldn't afford to go. Later on I'd see these same people in the hospital with complications—foot ulcers, gangrene, amputations, heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure—because they hadn't learned to manage their diabetes.
And I was getting referrals from physicians. They were requesting "diabetes education" for these people . . . and I needed to learn what that meant. As I did, I got bitten by the bug! It was SO exciting to realize that SO MANY of these complications were preventable—through education!
I devoured everything I could find on diabetes education but there just wasn't enough, so I started developing my own materials. That's how the overheads (click here to view) and the Guide came about. I developed the overheads for my own presentations to clients, and I developed the material in the Guide through years of study, training and experience in diabetes and diabetes education.
"This book provides the health care professional working in the field of diabetes education with a comprehensive overview of all aspects of diabetes management."
Danielle Wohlgemuth, RD, CDE "This book provides the opportunity to individualize diabetes health education for clients and their caregivers . . . . The author has successfully combined current knowledge about diabetes and her professional experience in a unique and well laid out format that is easily adapted to any teaching situation in the home or community."
Bonnie Dewhirst, RN, BScN
A. I became an RN in 1974. Since then I've gotten a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I'm also a Certified Diabetes Educator and a Certified Pump Trainer, with 19 years of experience teaching clients to manage their diabetes. I've also been giving workshops and acting as a consultant on diabetes care and education since 1986.
"Thank you so much for looking after my child. I am so glad to have had you as part of our diabetic team."
Brittany's mom "Such a knowledgeable and articulate woman must be a real asset to your program. We gained a lot from the workshop, particularly on insulin adjustments. It is not often that we have a speaker who has practical understanding of the needs of Home Nursing Care Staff and patients."
Joanne Evans, Administrator, Home Nursing Care Program
A. Of all the chronic conditions, diabetes is the most amenable to self-care. We're the "expert-makers." We tell clients, "You're going to learn everything there is to know about nutrition for diabetes, and everything there is to know about controlling your blood sugar." With that knowledge comes skill, confidence, behaviour change, more confidence . . . and enhanced quality of life. Clients learn that they can outsmart their diabetes and lead full, healthy lives. We move them from guilt and despair to "I've got the upper hand."
Q. What is the greatest challenge for diabetes educators?
A. Lack of funding, increasing numbers of clients, longer waitlists. Many people with diabetes never receive any formal diabetes education. That leaves it in the hands of the people I've written my book for—the caregivers, pharmacists and nurses who are meeting clients with diabetes. The clients trust them and look to them for help, and my book gives them the tools they need.
"Of particular interest and importance to pharmacists is the chapter on monitoring diabetes . . . . optimal blood glucose targets for individual patients, monitoring schedules, common errors in patient monitoring technique and the importance of keeping accurate records of monitoring results."
Tino Montopoll, BScPhm, CDE (Pharmacy Practice, Vol 14, No 8/August 1998)
Q. What have you seen accomplished through diabetes education?
A. There are people I can set my watch by. They're out for their daily walk, busily working on managing blood sugar and preventing the complications that can result from lack of exercise. One of my students, a child with Type I, made it to the National Figure Skating Championships. I know of many others who are living more successfully WITH diabetes than they were without it, having made healthy eating, regular exercise and the taking of appropriate medication a normal part of their lives.
The very best part for me is seeing that someone feels better because of what they've learned through diabetes education . . . and I meet people like that ALL the time.
"I found this book an excellent, concise resource either studying for the exam or helping my patients. I've had so many comments how much I've helped them."
Olga Dmytrisin, Pharmacist, CDE
A. Most of the others are either written for clients, or they're for professionals and emphasize one area. Mine provides a very basic overview of diabetes and diabetes care. I wrote it for frontline health care workers dealing with clients who have diabetes, or for anyone training for Diabetes Educator certification. My Guide is also the only one I know of that has teaching tips.
"Excellent guidelines to make sure everything is covered and what topics to cover."
Pam Noseworthy, RN, CDE, Diabetes Nurse Coordinator "I love the examples used to help patients relate to complications—i.e. high blood sugar is like shards of glass flowing through blood vessels."
Kate Brant, Health Educator "The 'teaching tip' section is very helpful. It illustrates how medical terminology can be translated into terms anyone can understand."
Tanya Gascoigne, Pharmacist
View sample teaching tips!
A. The new, evidence-based, 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus have tighter blood sugar, lipid, and blood pressure targets than the 1998 Guidelines. And in response to reader feedback, I've added more material on prevention of diabetes, emergency care of acute complications and new sections on insulin pump therapy, pediatrics and care of the elderly.
Q. How will you keep your readers current?
A. Minor revisions to the Clinical Practice Guidelines are posted on this website.
"I liked Chapter 5—Managing Diabetes. It contained more useful information on actions and action times of the OHAs and insulin than our large reference manual—much easier and quicker to find. I look forward to reading the new edition of To Teach, To Learn, To Live . . . ."
Kay Moody, RN, Home Care Nursing
"The insulin dosage adjustment and management in Chapter 6 has been invaluable to me—especially when I began work in this field. I have used all sections, but this one I have referred to most. I truly don't know what I would have done without this manual. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Diabetes Education."
Yvonne Wheeler, Diabetes Nurse Educator, Sussex Health Centre
To Tell a Friend about this website, click here!
We will never sell, rent or share your e-mail address with anyone. That's a promise.
To Teach, To Learn, To Live: The Complete Diabetes Education Guide for Health Care Professionals is based on the Canadian Diabetes
Association 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention
and Management of Diabetes in Canada. American readers are encouraged to use this Guide for general principles of diabetes care and education, but to refer to the American Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Recommendations.
|
|
|
