The Ins and Outs of Being a CDE®
Feb 4, 2019
Thinking about the next step in your career? The nursing profession is a robust field, with certifications running the gamut of clinical, managerial, and educational specialties. But which is the best choice for you? Here, we’ll take a deep dive into what it means to be a Certified Diabetes Educator®.
Certified Diabetes Educator: What Does It Mean?
Also known by its acronym, CDE®, Certified Diabetes Educators are health professionals who teach patients how to prevent or manage their diabetes.
What Does a CDE® Do?
Managing diabetes requires a lot of knowledge and understanding about medication, diet, and exercise and how they affect the level of glucose in the blood. A CDE® helps patients understand what they need to do in order to keep their blood glucose levels in check in order to remain healthy. Chronic high glucose levels in the blood can result in serious illness, including kidney, heart, and nerve damage. It can also cause stroke, blindness, and death if not managed properly.
A CDE® can come from various health care backgrounds, such a registered dietitian or nutritionist, nurse, pharmacist, or social worker. The primary goal is to help patients make and maintain important changes to their lifestyles and teach them how to care for themselves and stay healthy. CDEs® also teach patients how to use multiple medical devices including insulin pumps, blood glucose meters, and continuous glucose monitors. Not only do CDEs® educate patients, they also are important liaisons to the broader healthcare team regarding patient care.
How Do I Become a Certified Diabetes Educator?
To earn the CDE® credential, you’ll need to demonstrate your understanding of all of the varying aspects related to managing this disease. There is a list of eligibility requirements in order to sit for the CDE® exam, which is a computer-based exam developed by the NCBDE that consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
Are You Preparing for the Exam?
Click here to take our free practice quiz!
Resources
AADE. (n.d.) How a diabetes educator can help you. Retrieved from: https://www.diabeteseducator.org/living-with-diabetes/how-a-diabetes-educator-can-help-you
Cebulko, P. (n.d.). What does a diabetes educator do? Retrieved from https://www.healthplan.org/blog/what-does-diabetes-educator-do
NCBDE. (n.d.). Eligibility Requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/certification_info/eligibility-requirements/
NCBDE. (2019). Examination Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Handbook_Current.pdf
Certified Diabetes Educator: What Does It Mean?
Also known by its acronym, CDE®, Certified Diabetes Educators are health professionals who teach patients how to prevent or manage their diabetes.
What Does a CDE® Do?
Managing diabetes requires a lot of knowledge and understanding about medication, diet, and exercise and how they affect the level of glucose in the blood. A CDE® helps patients understand what they need to do in order to keep their blood glucose levels in check in order to remain healthy. Chronic high glucose levels in the blood can result in serious illness, including kidney, heart, and nerve damage. It can also cause stroke, blindness, and death if not managed properly.
A CDE® can come from various health care backgrounds, such a registered dietitian or nutritionist, nurse, pharmacist, or social worker. The primary goal is to help patients make and maintain important changes to their lifestyles and teach them how to care for themselves and stay healthy. CDEs® also teach patients how to use multiple medical devices including insulin pumps, blood glucose meters, and continuous glucose monitors. Not only do CDEs® educate patients, they also are important liaisons to the broader healthcare team regarding patient care.
How Do I Become a Certified Diabetes Educator?
To earn the CDE® credential, you’ll need to demonstrate your understanding of all of the varying aspects related to managing this disease. There is a list of eligibility requirements in order to sit for the CDE® exam, which is a computer-based exam developed by the NCBDE that consists of 200 multiple-choice questions.
Are You Preparing for the Exam?
Click here to take our free practice quiz!
Resources
AADE. (n.d.) How a diabetes educator can help you. Retrieved from: https://www.diabeteseducator.org/living-with-diabetes/how-a-diabetes-educator-can-help-you
Cebulko, P. (n.d.). What does a diabetes educator do? Retrieved from https://www.healthplan.org/blog/what-does-diabetes-educator-do
NCBDE. (n.d.). Eligibility Requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/certification_info/eligibility-requirements/
NCBDE. (2019). Examination Handbook. Retrieved from https://www.ncbde.org/assets/1/7/Handbook_Current.pdf