Melissa Ceeley, credentialed diabetes nurse educator with Gippsland Lakes Complete Health, was the guest speaker at the August meeting of the Bairnsdale and District Diabetes Support Group.
The presentation started with Melissa outlining the qualifications and work of a credentialed diabetes educator (CDE), a health professional who is an expert in diabetes education and management. They support people in self-managing their diabetes, overcoming challenges and leading their healthiest life possible.
To become a certified diabetes care and education specialist (CDCES), you need to have a current RN license, complete two years of professional experience, complete 1000 hours of diabetes care and education within five years of applying for the credential and then complete 200 hours of diabetes care and education within the same year of applying.
Diabetes Educators coach you through your diabetes and support people living with diabetes to self-manage their diabetes effectively, as well as people who have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. They also support carers and guardians of people living with diabetes. For example, they may support both a child living with diabetes as well as the child’s parents.
They do this by providing education and training as well as clinical care and understand that diabetes is different for everyone and adapt their care accordingly.
As part of their role they educate people on their diabetes, including complications with diabetes and its relation to other health conditions; offer advice and support around lifestyle changes that support diabetes management; give guidance on medication management safety (actions, timing, side effects) including the use of insulin therapy (eg. correct injection technique, checking injection sites); provide education on the self-monitoring of blood glucose levels including technique and interpretation of results; support goal setting and the implementation of strategies to achieve health goals; encourage collaboration between other health providers involved in the diabetes health care team, such as general practitioners (GPs), specialist medical practitioners endocrinologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, podiatrists, optometrists, pharmacists and others.
Melissa answered many questions with the importance of healthy eating, food choices and physical activity being discussed and information leaflets distributed to members. Members showed their appreciation with a round of applause and a request for a return visit. Margrethe Van Hienen presented Melissa with a small gift on behalf of the group and thanked her for her excellent talk and answering the many and varied questions.
