Diabetes Mellitus (Nurse)

Course Content:

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:

General practice remains vital to the health system’s response. Prevention, educationand early detection of type 2 diabetes by Australian general practitioners (GP)remains an importantpart of the national approach. Approximately 80% of adults visita GP at least once a year, and many symptomatic or at-risk adults will have riskfactors readily identified by taking their history. The standards for glycaemic targets in type 2 diabetesand optimal mitigation of riskfactors are widely accepted and regularly evaluated.

However, as the disease progresses, comorbidities and complications increase, and life expectancy and patient expectations correspondingly decrease. The ongoing expansion of knowledge helps GPs work with the extended clinical management team and their patients to prioritise apparently competing management goals.
_______________
AJGP, The pervasive impact of diabetes, 2019 - https://www1.racgp.org.au/ajgp/2019/may/the-pervasiveimpact-of-diabetes