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Diabetes Education Connection
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To Teach, To Learn, To Live:
The Complete Diabetes Education Guide
for Health Care Professionals
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 . . .
Q. Why did you get into diabetes education in the first place?
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.
Q. What qualifications do you have?
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.
Q. Why is diabetes education so important?
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.
YES! I would like to order the Second Edition of To Teach, To Learn, To Live: The
Complete Diabetes Education Guide for Health Care Professionals
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.
Q. There are a lot of books about diabetes on the market. What's so special about yours?
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.
View sample teaching tips!
Q. What prompted you to do a second edition?
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.
YES! I would like to order the Second Edition of To Teach, To Learn, To Live: The
Complete Diabetes Education Guide for Health Care Professionals
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