In the United States, diabetes has become an epidemic. More than 25.6 million people ¡ª 11.3% of our population ¡ª are estimated to be affected. Just over one-fourth of these individuals are over the age of 65 while less than 0.26% are younger than 20. And, it is estimated that another 7 million people are unaware they are affected.
This course is designed to provide nurses in clinical practice with an overview of diabetes, risk factors and signs and symptoms associated with a diagnosis of diabetes, factors to consider when providing care to a patient diagnosed with diabetes and practical steps that can be taken to encourage adherence to treatment regimens.
After completing this course, the learner should be able to:
~ Define the types of diabetes.
~ Identify signs, symptoms and risk factors for diabetes.
~ Describe the roles of clinical and home glucose tests.
~ Describe the importance of periodic and ongoing reassessment.
~ Describe conditions to look for when assessing patients with diabetes.
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