How to obtain job as Diabetes Educator?

[NetteNurse]

Hi all,

Question... I'm confused as to how to transfer into a specialization as a diabetes educator.

When I look at job postings, it seems every potential employer wants somebody who is already a certified educator. However, when I look at the qualifications to become certified, you need to be employed in a position in which you provide direct diabetes education for a minimum of 1000 hours. How do you obtain that experience if you can't be hired in that role until you're certified? Or would working as an RN in a hospital setting, in which you frequently encounter diabetic patients count?

In a similar vein, a while ago, I'd looked at Infection Preventionist as a potential career option, and seemed to be faced by the same conundrum Most employers want to hire somebody with Infection Control experience, or prefer somebody who is certified. However, to become certified, you need to work as an Infection Control nurse/preventionist to even qualify to take the exam.

I like both potential career options, but a Diabetes educator is a bit more interesting to me as I'd spend a lot of time educating patients, something I love to do!

Thanks for your input!