WindyCDE

[h=3]Practice Examination Now Available - General News - News | NCBDE Practice Examination Now Available[/h] NCBDE is pleased to announce that a practice examination is now available for the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators. The CDE® Practice Exam (PE) contains 50 multiple-choice questions and is illustrative of the type and format of questions used in the actual exams and allows an individual to practice taking an abbreviated version of the exam. There is a fee to take the PE (payment available only by credit card). Individuals can take the PE on-line within a 60 day window after purchase. For more information about the PE and how to purchase one, please go to "Order Practice Test". Good luck! ~WindyCDE

Here are the current standards as published by the NCBDE. Best of luck in your professional pursuits! Eligibility Requirements, Certification Info, Diabetes Education, Certification, Examination | NCBDE Definition of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) - 2015 DSME is performed by health professionals who have appropriate credentials and experience consistent with the particular profession's scope of practice. It involves the person with prediabetes or diabetes and/or the caregivers and the educator(s) and is defined as the ongoing process of facilitating the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for self-care. For purposes of this web site, diabetes self-management education (DSME) is used. It is a component of a comprehensive plan of diabetes care. The process incorporates the needs, goals and life experiences of the person with prediabetes or diabetes and is guided by evidence-based standards. The overall objectives of DSME are to support informed decision-making, self-care behaviors, problem-solving and active collaboration with the health care team and to improve clinical outcomes, health status, and quality of life. For purposes of certification eligibility, some or all of the following components of the DSME process may be performed and counted towards meeting the DSME practice experience requirement: An individual assessment and education plan developed collaboratively by the individual and educator(s) to direct the selection of appropriate educational interventions and self-management support strategies. Educational interventions directed toward helping the individual achieve self-management goals. Periodic evaluations to determine attainment of educational objectives or need for additional interventions and future reassessments. A personalized follow-up plan developed collaboratively by the individual and educator(s) for ongoing self-management support. Documentation in the education record of the assessment and education plan and the intervention and outcomes. In addition, program development and administration provided in support of the diabetes patient education program are considered part of the DSME process. Note: Regardless of discipline, knowledge (and the ability to apply that knowledge) is necessary across all areas of the examination content outline. ±Adapted from National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support, American Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Recommendations. Diabetes Care, Vol. 37, Supplement 1, January 2014. Click here to download‡ the informational brochure for the 2015 Examinations. [h=2]Eligibility Requirements for Initial Certification 2015[/h]For a diabetes educator who has not previously taken or passed the Examination or whose CDE® credentials expired prior to 12/31/2010, it will be necessary to complete a number of requirements prior to sitting for the Examination. An overview of requirements is shown below: 1) Meet the discipline/licensure requirement; then 2) obtain minimum professional practice experience providing DSME; as well as 3) obtain minimum continuing education hours; and lastly 4) apply and pay the application fee. Click here for the details on the discipline requirement. Click here for the details on the professional practice experience requirement. Click here for the details on the continuing education hour requirement. Click here to review the fee information. ~WindyCDE

Thanks to everyone for your responses- I guess we are a pretty 'exclusive' group. Small, but mighty! Blondi, I am planning on enrolling @ Capella in the next couple of months. That MSN-Diabetes sounds like just the ticket for what I am hoping to accomplish in the "second half" of my nursing career. Keep us posted on your studies and congratulations! ~Windy

I have Fibromyalgia and I work from home and decide my own hours. I realize my work situation is unusal (and believe me, I am grateful every day), but perhaps my suggestions will help you in your brainstorming efforts. I work as a diabetes educator, mostly writing education materials for both patients and staff at various hospitals and offices, but I also do contract work auditing charts, setting up in-office patient management protocols and troubleshooting for doctors who want better health outcomes for their diabetic clients. I also write health related articles on demand for newsletters, websites, and so on, and lastly, I am certified as a health coach and do phone-based and web-based weekly counseling with 10-15 private clients per month. It's a pretty good living and the hours can't be beat. I'm able to schedule my work around the unpredictability of Fibromyalgia and having more flexibility for self care actually improves my functional capacity quite a bit. I can take "mental health days" when needed, as long as I figure in enough time to meet my writing deadlines and don't have a standing appointment with the folks I coach. I don't really know if there's a career pathway to get to where I am-it's pretty eclectic- but I can suggest that you produce some writing samples of nursing/health topic near and dear to your heart (it's easiest to write what you know), consider becoming ANCC board-certified in your specialty area, and don't be afraid to go out market yourself as a skilled, passionate healthcare leader every chance you get. Network, baby! It's not just for shmooze artists! I wish you the best success, ~Windy

Before I figured out I was Type 2, I'd come home and eat 2 pieces of cheesecake for breakfast. That would usually knock me out until late afternoon... not that I'm recommending it to anyone! :***: ~W.

Whoohoo- newly annointed "adrenaline junkie" comin' through! Congratulations and welcome aboard. While I don't work critical care anymore (I'm too old to be pulling combative TBI patients off of terrified rad techs or trying to run two codes at once), I do miss it. Yes, its good that we all have our niches and its good that we can engage so much of our own strengths and interests in our profession. Here's wishing you a long and happy career in critical care and as soon as you feel even a twinge of burnout, take a vacation, think about what you want to do next, and don't have any regrets! ~W.

I totally agree with all of you- I've always cherished my "difficult" patients because, if they were all easy, I would never learn anything new! I've somehow gotten a rep for handing the difficult ones and I don't mind one bit when they get "dumped" on me. After report, the game is on as far as I'm concerned and if I get them to smile or even laugh just once before end of shift, I've won!! Just like most of you have observed, a little extra time, a respectful approach, and allowing them some autonomy given their limited situations works wonders. It's such a shame, really, when I see nurse colleagues taking a patient's frustration personally. It just sets up an contrary relationship and makes the shift much looooonger. Let's face it- being sick sucks, so anything I can do to make it a little less distasteful for patients and their loved ones rarely goes unnoticed. Especially by the "difficult" ones. ~W.

Greetings Little Panda, although I must say you look an awful lot like a Mogwai... Anyway, congratulations- sounds like a great opportunity! First, consider that it wasn't that long ago when you did your clinicals, so it won't be like a completely alien (get it?) environment to you with all this brand-new technology you've never seen. Also, it sounds like they provide a generous period for orientation and, I would imagine, a seasoned nurse as a preceptor who can help steady you after the training wheels are removed. And last, they must have seen someting in you during the hiring process that intrigued them, so take some confidence from that. Be prepared to communicate openly and frequently with your mentor-nurse. He/she will have a much easier time helping you acculturate to the unit and will have a lot more faith in you if you do. Don't do anything that would be a potential safety risk to you or your patients and speak up if you need another demonstration of technique or a little more time observing before you are ready to do it on your own. Ask for feedback when necessary. And for heaven's sake, keep a notepad close at hand! Come prepared to learn, keep your game face on, and before you know it, you'll be flying solo and someday when the time comes to move up the career ladder, you'll be able to say, "...acute care bedside experience AND I can do case management, too!" Good luck, ~W.

My vote goes to the tipsy nursey lady with the pink umbrella sticking out of her IV bag... we got the same groove thing goin' here. It's Saturday night and I'm home writing a paper on under-utilization of preventative health services among Type 2 diabetics in the outer (not Oahu) Hawaiian islands- good thing I've got my Diet Lime Coke with a suitably generous splash of rum! ~Windy

Greetings colleagues, I've found a couple of really exciting education/role expansion opportunities for BSN-level diabetes nurses. Both are fully online MSN programs (although they are quick to point out that they are not geared toward preparing nurses who wish to become APRNs) with diabetes education and management specialties. Since my goal is to continue to do individual, group and community DSME rather than do medical management of patients in a clinical practice, I wouldn't need a FNP/ANP program. Here are the two I've found: Capella University: http://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/masters-diabetes-nursing/ Columbia University: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/diabetes/ (I hope this isn't considered "advertisement"...) Does anybody know of other similar programs here in the US? From reading the website info, it appears this an MS in diabetes is relatively new and therefore it might take some time for other universities to commit to and develop more programs like these. In light of the health care reforms we're facing in the next few years, not to mention the ever-growing population of diabetes patients, this seems like a good bet for future job security and satisfaction. If anyone knows of any other programs or has input they wouldn't mind sharing, I'd be very appreciative. Thanks in advance, Windy

Well I don't know if this will help, but I'll throw it out there... I am a 20 year veteran of just about every kind of adult nursing you can imagine but at 43 years of age, I recognize that I am only "mid-career" at this point, especially in light of our anemic economy. I also have Fibromyalgia and the thrill of running codes and wrestling head injury patients off of terrified rad techs lost its appeal long ago. A couple years back, I decided to bet on a sure thing for my future in the profession- the diabetes pandemic and Obamacare. I know, I know, you all are saying, "Yeah, but you have to already BE a diabetes educator to BECOME a diabetes educator." I admit it's not easy, but I found a job as a RN Health Coach in an ambulatory care setting and begged to take all the diabetes patients, which only endeared me to the other health coaches since those patients often have complex health issues. It took me two years to convince our nursing director to let me design and facilitate a bonafide diabetes self-management and education program (more money for them), which I wrote (under MD supervision) on my own time while enrolled in Excelsior's BSN program. In fact, I used the diabetes program I wrote as part of my capstone project. Once I had accrued my 1,000 hours and required diabetes CEU's, I took the CDE exam (http://www.ncbde.org/certification_info/) and passed. I will be graduating from Excelsior in May, and already have a job offer at a magnet hospital and outpatient clinic program nearby. Next month, I will be taking the ANCC's board certification exam in ambulatory nursing ( Ambulatory Care Nursing - American Nurses Credentialing Center - ANCC ) to give myself an edge over other, younger job applicants AND because the magnet will pay me more for it. My annual income last year was $37,000 gross. Next year? $72,000. Oh, and from the looks of it, I'll be one of the younger RN's employed in that department. No more nights, weekends, holidays, concrete floors, Hoyer lifts, masks and gowns, saturated bed linens, cranky on-call docs, blood sugar crashes and UTI's (mine, not the patients'), code blues, code greens, code browns, and no more mandatory overtime! And did I mention I get my own office? With a cute little fridge that they keep stocked with bottled water and fresh fruit! For those of you who are dicouraged by the professional practice experience requirements for the CDE, there is now a Diabetes Educator Mentorship Program that can account for up to 400 of the required 1,000 hours of experience. Go here for more information: http://www.ncbde.org/certification_info/mentorship-program/ Moreover, I wish you and everyone in the same boat the best in finding a new place that will value your wisdom and experience. Sad to think that, as a profession, we are said to "eat our young". Apparently we do the same to our not-so-young... ~Windy

I do Diabetes Ed. and write health-related articles for various newsletters and such. I work from home in my PJ's and I choose my own hours. Oh, and I supplement my income with internet and telephone-based wellness coaching. They are all highly niched fields and a bit tricky to get into I admit, but after getting diagnosed with Fibromyalgia a few years back, these specialties have allowed me to continue to utilize my nursing expertise and earn a comfortable living where I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. So here's my story: I worked for a privately held medically supervised weight loss company and volunteered a few weekends here and there to represent the organization at health fairs and the like. I produced handouts and health booklets for our booth and also asked to be one of the featured topical speakers as well. I had stage fright for about 30 seconds, but once I got going, it really wasn't that bad. My boss took notice of my writing skills and asked me to produce more materials for a specialty program addressing health issues in the trucking industry and then more materials for staff education, and that's how I sort of "fell into" health writing from home. I also volunteered to research, write, and present the company's free monthly webinars, thereby adding another marketable skillset that I could use in a work-from-home environment. For diabetes ed., I tracked my qualified teaching hours with our diabetic clients and once I had accrued enough time (and took 30 CEU of diabetes-related continuing ed.), I applied for and passed the CDE exam. While I was doing all this telephone counseling, writing, and webinar producing, I decided to take an extensive course in health and wellness coaching on the side and once I passed the exams, I hung my 'virtual shingle' on the internet and began taking private-pay health clients after I left the weight-loss company. I also became certified as an adaptive fitness trainer so I could design activity-boosting fitness programs for those of us who will likely never be featured in a Nike ™ commerical or billboard ad... My next goal is to become ANCC board-certified in ambulatory care and possibly start up my own diabetes ed. program where I can bill medicare and private insurance. Then I'll market myself to all the local PMD's who don't have the time or the qualified staff to handle their diabetes patients' education needs. Eventually, I will get a Master's in Public Health and Wellness Promotion and then contract out to government, corporate, and private entities as a diabetes program designer and consultant and considering the grim public health statistics we are already seeing, I will have plenty of job security in the years to come. Hope this helps give you another avenue to explore and I do hope you fnd a way to continue to do what you love without getting physically beat up by long hours, heavy patients, and concrete floors. ~Windy

I second that! But seriouly, congratulations- well done!

Diabetes Educator and Health Writer -> I work on my own schedule, in my jammies, on my laptop at home. Need I say more?