6. Nurse
A nurse may help with your treatment and is likely to teach you about diabetes monitoring and treatment, as well as self-management. Some nurses are specialists in diabetes with additional training and experience. They can teach you how to take your medications, give yourself insulin, monitor your blood sugars, recognize symptoms of high and low blood sugars, and how to handle sick days.
7. Diabetes Educator
A diabetes educator is an expert at helping people with diabetes gain knowledge and self-management skills needed to take care of themselves and their diabetes, and any problems that may result from diabetes. Your diabetes educator may also be a dietitian, nurse, pharmacist, or physician.
8. Pharmacist
A pharmacist is trained to prepare, distribute, and educate patients about medicines. Pharmacists check for possible drug interactions or side effects from prescribed medicines for people with diabetes. Pharmacists also may help keep track of how well the medicines you are taking are working.
Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RD, CDE, CDN, is an award winning registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and past spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is the author of The African American Guide To Living Well With Diabetes and Eating Soulfully and Healthfully with Diabetes. Learn more about her work at www.constancebrownriggs.com and follow her on Twitter@eatingsoulfully.
