Diabetes Nurse

A diabetes nurse works with patients who have diabetes (Go figure). When people have diabetes, their body is no longer producing enough insulin to break down the sugars in the food they eat to provide energy. As a result, their body is not receiving the nutrients they need and their blood is becoming saturated with sugar, which leads to a host of problems. Diabetes nurses may work on their own to provide patient education, including nutrition and fitness information, or they may work with an endocrinologist, a doctor who specializes in disorders such as diabetes. Because coping with diabetes requires a patient to make several in-depth lifestyle changes, diabetes nurses usually have a longer and deeper relationship with their patients than a family practice nurse or a clinical care nurse might.

THINGS YOU'LL DO:

• Help patients monitor their blood sugar

• Minimize diabetic nerve damage

• Give nutritional therapy

• Teach proper diet, exercise, and lifestyle

YOUR JOB CHARACTERISTICS:

• Structured

• Patient-facing

• Research-oriented

How to get there: 

To become a diabetes nurse, your first step is to become a registered nurse and then work as a nurse in a facility that specializes in treating diabetes. You will need at least 500 hours of working in a diabetic clinic or facility and your Master of Science in nursing before you can apply to receive your Advanced Diabetes Management Certification through American Association of Diabetes Educators.

Growth outlook: 

Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the country, so the demand for diabetes nurses is expected to grow very quickly, as much as 39%!

Salary: 

The median salary for a diabetes nurse is $75,000.