Managing Diabetes: Tools for Nurses and Patients with Diabetes
According to the latest CDC report, 30.3 million or 9.4% of the US population has diabetes. And unfortunately, these numbers are only expected to grow.
In fact, if current trends continue, it is estimated that by 2050, 1 in 3 people will have diabetes.
Helping patients diagnosed with diabetes
When your patients are diagnosed with diabetes, they will likely have many questions, especially around carb counting—what to eat and how much of it.
Education is important here, but even more so is ensuring patients remember what you are telling them.
This printable infographic offers patients a quick-glance cheat sheet for specific carb portions and zero carb options for snacks and meal additions.
Download a printable version of the infographics here.
Providing quick-glance reference tools like this can make a huge difference for patients and can even help them avoid complications and hospitalizations.
They can also help you.
Diabetes management is dependent on patient compliance…but it’s not uncommon for patients to make (or forget to mention) lifestyle choices or medication changes (to try and correct some of these choices) that could affect the success of your treatment recommendations.
That’s why, with the help of Mary Ann Rosa, MSN, GNP-BC, CDE, DNP-S, we’ve created a FREE, printable Diabetes Self-Care Plan, Glucose Log, and Weekly Medication Record. These tools can be used with each of your patients—at each visit—to help them monitor their BP, weight, glucose, medications, and more.
Mary Ann Rosa, DNP, GNP-BC, CDCES, has 25+ years of experience working with patients, and helping patients manage cardiac disease and diabetes, and educating clinicians to decrease readmissions and improve outcomes. She is an associate professor, a board certified gerontological nurse practitioner, and a certified diabetes care and education specialist.
As a nurse practitioner, Mary Ann has experience in a cardiac angioplasty program, acute care, private practice, community care, extended care, and in program development. She co-developed, and implemented a community diabetes disease management program, developed and implemented a community heart failure disease management program, and implemented a telehealth program for Northwell, the third largest health system in the US.
She has presented locally at numerous events including post-graduate medicine, long-term facilities, many hospitals and universities, and nationally at events including the National Association of Home Care Annual Conference, the NLN Summit, OADN Annual Conference, NLN Technology Conference, The American Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialist Annual Conference, the VA Hospital System, and the Montana Health System. Mary Ann is a published author with articles in Home Healthcare Nurse including, “How a Heart Failure Home Care Disease Management Program Makes a Difference” and “The Interdisciplinary Development of a Diabetes Disease Management Program.”
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Mary Ann Rosa has an employment relationship with LIJ Home Care Network. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Mary Ann Rosa is a member of the American Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.
