Helping School Personnel
Diabetes management training teaches school nurses and staff members how to provide necessary care for students with diabetes during the school day and school-sponsored extracurricular activities. Training should occur before the beginning of the school year, when a student is diagnosed with diabetes, when a student with diabetes is enrolled in the school, or when appropriate. There also should be regular refresher sessions.
There are two levels of training appropriate for school personnel
The first level of training is for school staff members who have primary responsibility for students with diabetes (e.g., teachers and coaches), but who don’t perform diabetes care tasks such as blood glucose monitoring or insulin or glucagon administration. This training should include:
- General overview of diabetes and typical health care needs of a student with diabetes
- Recognition of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia
- Identity of school nurses and/or trained diabetes personnel and how to contact them for help
The second level of training is for school personnel who will perform routine and emergency care (school nurses and trained diabetes personnel) and should include the following content based on current standards of care for children and youth with diabetes recommended by the American Diabetes Association:
- General overview of typical health care needs of a student with diabetes and how these needs are addressed in the student’s written care plans
- Explanation/overview of type 1 and type 2 diabetes
- The effect of balancing insulin, food, and exercise upon a student’s blood glucose levels
- Procedures for routine care of individual students, including blood glucose monitoring, insulin administration, blood or urine ketone testing, and recording results
- Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia and the short- and long-term risks of these conditions
- Treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia
- Glucagon administration
- Managing nutrition and exercise in the school setting
- Tools, supplies, and equipment required for diabetes care and their storage
- Legal rights and responsibilities of schools and parents/guardian
Produced by the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), a federally sponsored partnership of the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and more than 200 public and private organizations.
To obtain copies of the complete publication titled, Helping the Student with Diabetes Succeed: A Guide for School Personnel (NDEP-61), please call the National Diabetes Education Program at 1-800-438-5383 or visit the program's website at www.ndep.nih.gov to download copies.
This reprint is compliments of Abbott Diabetes Care, Inc. Reproduced with permission.
Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.
DOC14654-Rev-A 04/08
