diabetic nursing student

[Narf]

Hello, I need some advice please. I am a newly diagnosed diabetic. Type 1. I recently got accepted into the nursing program at a local college (RPN) and have had several family members tell me that I "shouldn't become a nurse because I am diabetic". One family member has expressed to me (who by the way is a nurse) that working a 12 hour shift would wreak havoc on my health. I'm frightened and confused. I wantto be a Nurse and know that this is my calling. Could someone give some advice? Thank you. I'm embarrased for asking.

[5cats]

12 hours shifts are not good for anybody. I see more problems with the irregular shift pattern, what makes it harder for you to control your diabetes, but there are many ways of nursing, and not everybody needs to work in a hospital with those shiftpatterns.

I would get some advise from a diabetic nurse, no need to be embarrassed. But if nursing is your calling go for it.

5cats

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

Post this in the disabilities forum.

I don't see any reason that you can't be a nurse. You will have to make time to track your BS closely and to eat, but you should do that anyway.

Good luck.

[linzz]

Are you a diabetic who is on insulin or just medication? The lack of rest from rotating shifts may indeed make it harder to control your blood sugar however if you make sure that you rest after work and eat well, this may help.

I am not sure that I would worry so much about the twelve hour shifts as you are an RPN and will likely find it much easier to find a job in long term care or rehabilatation which often has eight hour shifts, which you may find easier. Another alternative may be to work in a Dr. office which would be mostly days.

[loriangel14, RN]

I am an RPN working in a hospital in Ontario and I have been recently diagnosed with diabetes. While I have had to make some changes to my lifestlye I have found it interferes with my work very little. I have told my coworkers about my diagnosis and they have been very supportive. I carry my glucometer with me to work and it only takes a minute to check my blood sugar. As long as I remember to eat a snack so I am not going long stretches without some carbs I am ok.

Depending on what area of Ontario you are in finding hospital work may not be a problem.Any work place can not tell you that you aren't entitled to the time you need to check your bs and have a quick snack.

PM me if you want to talk.

[linzz]

Hey Loriangel14, sorry to hear of your dx. My spouse has had it for ten years and fortunately he has been given a day shift job for the next few years and this seems to be helping quite a bit. Sounds like you have a great, supportive workplace.

Perhaps the op can arrange placements that will not be long or flipping shifts. I would think that most colleges would have to accomodate this.

[truern]

Insulin dependent RN here...and it's only caused problems once and that was just this week. I take 25 units of Humalog before each meal and so I took my insulin before breakfast as usual but when I got to work I was throwing up. All that insulin on board and nothing would stay down

I had to go home so I could take Phenergan so I could get something to stay down. Of course I slept for hours which is why I had to go home!! :)

As long as you monitor your BGs and eat when you're supposed to there's NO reason you can't be a nurse!