Diabetes Mellitus (Nurses)

This course focuses on diabetes mellitus. This chronic and progressive disease is described including screening guides and pathology testing to assist with diagnosis. It discusses how to initiate and plan long term management with the goal to achieving glycaemic control. It also outlines a step-by-step approach in explaining the diagnosis and management to patients. To cover all aspects of care, the diabetes management is broken down into components, including glycaemic and weight control, diet and exercise, lifestyle choices, renal function, eye and foot health, blood pressure, lipids and comorbidities. The course concludes with the medical management of glycaemia.

This course is evidence-based, demonstrates best practice and is regularly updated.

Relevance to Nurses:

The number of people newly diagnosed with diabetes is growing rapidly – faster than any other chronic health condition – and the disease has been described as the epidemic of the 21st century. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 1.3 million people in Australia were living with diabetes in 2021 (i.e., one in 20 people) and 85–90% of those were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes in First Nations peoples is considerably higher than in non-Indigenous people with nearly a 3-fold incidence. These statistics are noted to be heavily underestimated due to varying factors, including under-reporting. At some point in their careers, most primary health care (PHC) nurses will be required to provide diabetes care and manage the disease’s impact on patients and their families. Primary health care nurses of all levels of experience and in all roles can play a huge part in diabetes care.