I have been diabetic for 20 years now and have joined a profession that it notorious for people not taking better care of themselves because we are so busy taking care of others! How do you find the time to take care of your diabetes? I work in critical care and decided to get the CGM (paid out of pocket as well) because I was so afraid of getting tied up in a patient's room and going low! Anyone else have any tips?
I am going to graduate from my nursing program in May, so I will be an RN soon. I will be working in a very busy pediatric ICU, so I know what you mean about not wanting to go low when you are busy with a really sick patient. I have been diabetic for 9years and have had decent control but not the best. My schedule changes all the time from getting up at 6am to going to bed at that time, which has made it a lot harder for me to have the best control. I am currently on the humalog pen and Lantus, but really want to go on a pump and CGM so that like you were saying I don't have to worry about being really busy and my numbers dropping. It sounds like you are doing good though. I dunno if I am any help, but at least you are not alone.
-Rosemary
Hi Rosemary & Katie!
I am so glad they started a forum for this!!!! I had actually submitted a question about starting a forum for healthcare professionals with type 1 a few weeks ago. I have had type 1 x 36 years (in June). I too am an RN & I hope to be approved to sit for the CDE exam in May / June. I have been a nurse for 10 years, mostly on the floor. It was to some degree a challenge utilizing shots. Even if I could take lunch at the same time each day, I usually got interrupted as I was trying to eat. I started carrying graham crackers in my scrubs & would dart into the bathroom to eat them every few hours. When I did get to "eat", I usually shoveled it in or I would leave the floor instead of eating in our break room. I am now back on a pump which has made a tremendous difference. I am also now in a physician's office, which also greatly helps. I would recommend making sure that the staff you work with are aware of your diabetes & need to eat. Initially I was reluctant to do this, but have since realized that this was important for me to taking care of myself so I would not cause harm.... to my patients.
Cindi
This is a great question! I am not an RN nor a diabetic but I find it so interesting that my T1 son has a RN at his school that is type 1- I will go in to drop off supplies and such and she will be in the corner tryng to eat lunch and check her bg and give herself a shot- its truly amazing how she manages! His parapro or parttime nurse is also type 1 with the same pump my son has, so its GREAT having them both there to care for him. I never have to worry! KUDOS to RN's!!!!
Katie-
Yes I've had type 1 for 25 years this January. I'm also an Rn and have been since 1995. Being pregnant and having diabetes was my greatest challenge at work. I know what you mean though- sometimes we are lucky to get a drink or pee! I have a minimed pump and love it. I just snack like crazy and always have food in my scrub pockets. I keep my purse close by and check my bs throughout the day. If your coworkers know they should also be supportive, mine definately are. I didn't like the CGM and I paid out of pocket for it as well. I have really great bs control anyhow and that thing just made me overmanage (type A) ha! Is it working for you? Life got harder for us 2 years ago when my 5 year old Emma was also diagnosed with type 1.
I am also a Type 1 RN and I work in a Alcohol and Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Center. I am fortunate that my co-workers know and understand my illness and I have the time to test and eat every shift. I also am trying to become a CDE, but I do pt. teaching with Medtronic Minimed and work my other job full-time. I hope that I will get to do more of these pump starts because I really enjoy them. I recognize the difficulty with type 1 and working as a nurse. Your patients need you, but they also need you to take care of yourself so that you can take care of them. Doing without lunch is rough, and going 8 hours with no ladies room break is even harder.
I'm not an RN but I am an EMT and hopefully will be a Paramedic in the next few months. I've been diabetic for 15 years, but adjusting to spending at least 12 hours on shift without any guarantees for meals, snacks or rest was definitely new for me. The best piece of advice I can give you all who are working long hours is to try out a pump if you dont already have one. Lantus may be similar to a pump, but you still have to give yourself that injection at the same time every day. You can set your basal's lower by changing to a different pattern on days that you're working with most of the new models, so if you do have a long time between meals your sugar doesn't drop. You can also set up temporary basal's as a percent of normal so that if you are walking into something that is going to take a lot of time or energy you can compensate for it. My biggest fear is that one day I'll be running a full arrest or dealing with a patient with everything going wrong and my sugar will go low. Luckily, there is an older diabetic medic at the company I'm a student at and he's been at it for a while. He say's in most situations like that his sugar actually climbs because of the adrenaline from the call, and if I do get worried about it I can always cut down my bolus for a snack by a unit or two just to stay confident it'll stay up, and check it again in an hour or two. The most important thing is to not psych yourself out about it, especially when you're with a patient. That kind of thing will only screw up the care you're giving.
I definitely think the best part of the job is when you have diabetic patients. Its easier to see exactly whats going on in your patient, how they feel, and whats going to happen next. Plus, its nice to understand more about the situation than the paramedic does. :-P
Hey guys, there is a group for healthcare providers in the Groups tab if you wanted to post in there. Here is the direct link http://juvenation.org/groups/health_care_providers/default.aspx
Hey there, y'all! I'm a LPN and work as a floor nurse in a convolescence center. Luckily, my med cart has glucometers and I also keep glucose tabs on it. Unfortunately, however, my neuropathy has kicked into high gear after standing on the concrete floors, running up and down halls for 10 to 12 hours a day! Danskos don't seem to help. has anyone tried the crocs that are specially made for diabetics yet? i'd love to know if they helped!