Compassionate diabetes care: a day in the life of a credentialled diabetes educator

Diabetes is a category of metabolic disorders marked by high blood sugar and impaired insulin production or response, with the potential for serious complications if untreated or mismanaged.

Approximately 1.9 million Australians currently live with diabetes and these figures continue to rise. A recent report from Diabetes Australia also highlighted the significant cost of diabetes to the country’s health system at $9.1 billion annually. As the incidence of diabetes grows, so does the demand for skilled health professionals who can provide tailored care to people with this condition.

Diabetes educators meet this demand by working with patients to deliver comprehensive care, while empowering them with the knowledge and tools they need to manage their condition effectively. If you want to pursue a meaningful career that makes a genuine difference in the lives of everyday people, becoming a diabetes educator can be a rewarding path to consider.

In this article, you’ll discover a day in the life of a credentialled diabetes educator, gaining valuable insights and advice from her work in this field. You’ll also learn how you can leverage your existing healthcare experience to step into a fulfilling career that generates real impact.

What is a diabetes educator?

A diabetes educator is a healthcare professional who has completed postgraduate study in the field of diabetes management and education. They can support and educate individuals living with diabetes or those at risk of developing the condition on how best to manage their diabetes and how to improve their overall health.

What is a credentialled diabetes educator?

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A credentialled diabetes educator (CDE) is an Ahpra-registered healthcare professional, such as a registered nurse, midwife, accredited dietitian or pharmacist who has completed postgraduate diabetes education recognised by the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA). Graduates of an ADEA-recognised course have completed extensive training, practical experience and mentoring to become experts in diabetes education and care.

The role of a credentialled diabetes educator is to provide targeted clinical advice, personalised education and deliver practical strategies to help people manage their diabetes, prevent related complications and improve their overall quality of life.

Credentialled diabetes educators are recognised under Medicare, the National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS), Department of Veterans’ Affairs and some private health insurers. This means patients may be able to claim rebates for diabetes education services if eligible under these schemes.

There are many ADEA-recognised diabetes educator courses at various institutions across Australia. For example, Deakin University offers an ADEA-accredited Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education, which equips you with the expertise to educate patients and implement evidence-based approaches to better manage their health. You’ll get access to placements where you can develop your practical skills and build your network as you progress on your path toward becoming a credentialled diabetes educator.

Curtin University also offers a Graduate Certificate in Diabetes course. In this ADEA-accredited course, you’ll learn the fundamentals of diabetes management as well as engage in a 10-day clinical placement to strengthen your diabetes care skills in a real-world healthcare setting.

Curtin University’s Graduate Certificate in Diabetes Studies delivers comprehensive knowledge of diabetes care, while the Master of Advanced Practice (Diabetes Studies) gives enhanced skills and knowledge to become a specialised professional in the field.

What does a diabetes educator do?

For clarity, we will cover the typical roles and responsibilities of a credentialled diabetes educator hereafter.

CDEs play an important role in helping people manage their condition effectively by empowering them with information, resources and support. As CDEs are also typically Ahpra-registered healthcare providers, they have an existing practice scope relevant to their field and can incorporate advice and treatments from their prior expertise, tailored to diabetic patients accordingly.

These professionals can work with people at risk of developing diabetes or those who have recent or chronic diabetes diagnoses, such as Type 1, Type 2 and gestational diabetes. Credentialled diabetes educators adapt their advice to each person’s unique lifestyle and health needs, ensuring their approach can get the best possible outcomes.

Typical roles and responsibilities of CDEs include:

• Education on diabetes, the related health conditions and complications
• Information on healthy diet and lifestyle habits
• Advice on safe medication and insulin use
• Tools for self-monitoring of blood glucose and result interpretation
• Collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive care
• Supportive resources for patients of all ages and diabetes types including those at risk of developing diabetes

These professionals can work in public and private hospitals, community health centres, pharmacies, other healthcare facilities and in private practice.

Diabetes educator salary

According to SEEK data, the average diabetes educator salary in Australia is $90,000.

The average annual salaries of diabetes educators in each state and territory:

• Northern Territory: $115,000 to $125,000
• Queensland: $105,000 to $115,000
• Western Australia: $105,000 to $115,000
• South Australia: $90,000 to $100,000
• Australian Capital Territory: $80,000 to $100,000
• Tasmania: $80,000 to $100,000
• New South Wales: $80,000 to $90,000
• Victoria: $80,000 to $90,000

A day in the life of a credentialled diabetes educator

Nurse practitioner and credentialled diabetes educator Rachael Cunningham is a passionate health professional dedicated to helping people with diabetes. She brings unique and personal experience to diabetes management as she has lived with Type 1 diabetes since childhood. Drawing from her own life experiences, Rachael appreciates the challenges that arise from living with this chronic condition and she applies this wisdom to her patients on their own health journey.

Rachael works in several settings, providing tailored support and ensuring her approach is compassionate and comprehensive. She has a role at a nurse practitioner-led paediatric diabetes outpatient service in Brisbane, where she sees newly diagnosed patients with diabetes, providing education and strategies to optimise their health. Rachael also offers private consultations alongside a team of diabetes educators at Australian Diabetes Technology. In this role, she uses her expertise in diabetes technology to deliver effective and targeted diabetes management for patients.

Let’s take a closer look at how she spends her day working with her paediatric patients and how her nursing background has provided a foundation in her current role as a credentialled diabetes educator.

Morning preparation

Rachael arrives at work about an hour early so she can prepare for her upcoming patients. She’ll sit and review any pathology and blood results and look at her patients for the day to see who are new or review patients. She’ll also ensure she has the equipment she needs if she has a new patient starting an insulin pump.

Diabetes consultations

In a typical day, Rachael might see up to eight patients, depending on their appointment type and specific needs. The shortest consult is 45 minutes or 3 hours for an automated insulin delivery (AID) system start. An AID involves wearing an insulin pump that pairs to a glucose monitor. Those two devices talk to each and create an automatic insulin system.

Rachael explains that during a full initial assessment, she’ll “figure out a management plan and work out what will match their lifestyle and current goals.”

She understands that each patient is different and therefore factoring in their medical history, current circumstances and their readiness to take responsibility for their diagnosis all contribute to developing the right plan for her patients.

For patients who start on an insulin pump, they have her on call for the next two weeks. This helps ensure patients can build their confidence while adjusting to the new technology and Rachael can troubleshoot or provide guidance where needed.

Afternoon admin

Following consultations, Rachael will attend to various administrative tasks to finish her day. For example, “patient notes and letters back to their healthcare team, including their GP and allied health providers. I’ll spend time replying to emails as well”.

Rachael also ensures she checks the new-starts, which are patients who have recently implemented AID systems. This technology allows for remote monitoring, which is helpful as Rachael can see in real-time what’s happening for her patients regarding their glucose levels.

Rachael explains that this role involves a lot of admin and she’ll typically spend a couple of hours finishing paperwork for her patients after a day of consultations.

Outside of patient care

As a committed practitioner and advocate for diabetes care, Rachael actively participates in professional development by attending workshops, conferences and peer networking events. She regularly delivers talks to other healthcare professionals, sharing her expertise in diabetes education, technology and best practices.

Rachael also attends diabetes camps, supporting and educating young people living with diabetes in a hands-on, community setting. She also has experience in diabetes research and is passionate about the future of diabetes management and the broader industry.

Nursing as a valuable foundation for providing patient care

In order to become a credentialled diabetes educator, you must be an Ahpra-recognised health professional. In Rachael’s case, her prior experience as a registered nurse and advanced qualifications as a nurse practitioner paved the way for her to pursue further education in diabetes management. Nursing gave her an excellent foundation for developing essential skills necessary for effective patient care, including empathy, critical thinking and advocacy for patient needs.

She is also able to leverage her nurse practitioner scope of practice within her diabetes educator role. Some of these capabilities include providing prescriptions, diagnosing and managing other health conditions, referring to other healthcare professionals and requesting and interpreting pathology tests. Her additional expertise, previous healthcare experience and practice scope allows Rachael to create comprehensive and individualised care plans for her patients.

Rewards and challenging aspects of the role

There are many rewards and various challenges associated with a diabetes educator role.

It’s a really dynamic space to work in. It can be challenging but very rewarding and it always keeps you on your toes.

She describes the fulfilling aspects of the job and in particular the ability to develop a patient-centred diabetes management plan for each patient while watching their progress and quality of life improve over time.

“When a patient comes and sees me, we spend a lot of time with them, to better understand them, their lifestyle, their journey and their priorities. When you give them this space and time [and] offer the options, then the patient has more autonomy to choose what works. They pick the option that is best suited to them, their glycaemic outcomes, mental health outcomes and physical health outcomes.”

Rachael describes her approach to working with patients, the importance of determining their readiness for change and responding to where they are in their own journey. “It really is a marathon, not a sprint. Sometimes it’s about small steps over a long period of time”. She also explains how she ensures patients are informed of the various technological advances in insulin delivery systems. “There are four different AID systems available in Australia. They can seem scary, however once they move to an AID, it’s often a life changing experience.”

Who should consider becoming a diabetes educator?

A career as a diabetes educator is well-suited to healthcare professionals who are passionate about ongoing learning and professional growth. This industry is constantly evolving, with new research, technological advancements and treatments emerging.

If you’re someone who is naturally curious with a strong interest in diabetes, proactive in staying up to date and enjoys the challenge of translating complex information into practical advice for patients, this may be an ideal career path to consider.

In Rachael’s experience, she shares that becoming a diabetes educator provided a rewarding lateral career move from nursing where she could enjoy a different work-life balance while building on her existing clinical skills and knowledge. “If you want a break from bedside nursing, this role offers more predictable work in terms of hours.”

In terms of the credentialling process, Rachael says that it’s important for prospective diabetes educators to map the journey ahead and to consider the time and investment it takes to complete the practical hours as well as finishing the postgraduate course.

The ADEA also offers mentorship, which is helpful to foster confidence as a practitioner and to learn from experts in the field. Rachael also says that “the diabetes field is huge” and taking every opportunity that arises is important to get the most out of developing your career. Specialising in paediatrics or pregnancy if you have a particular interest in these areas is possible and building your network can make a significant difference in finding success in these roles.

Rachael’s perspective on the future demand for diabetes educators

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The diabetes education sector is growing in response to the increased prevalence of diabetes in Australia. As Rachael explains, “there is a push to meet the workforce demand” and consequently, the qualification requirements are relatively accessible for healthcare professionals. In 2024, an updated credentialling pathway was introduced in an effort to meet these growing industry demands and to make it easier for healthcare professionals to transition into this rewarding field.

Rachael reflects on how the industry has evolved in recent years. There are many innovations and burgeoning research that are shaping the future direction of diabetes management. “The last ten years have seen exponential growth in the technology. Diabetes care was different long ago, it was textbook-based. [We know] it’s more dynamic than that, we have more tools now and devices are getting smaller and smarter.”

With the advancements in technology, Rachael believes that the role of diabetes educators will also expand. “We’re recognising the needs of our patients are not what they were 10-20 years ago.” She reflects on her own professional growth and the changes she sees in her role, “How can I innovate or change, or adapt, while providing care to patients to better suit how they’re managing. We’ll see that change in years to come.”

How to become a diabetes educator

The typical pathway to becoming a credentialled diabetes educator involves:

1. Complete a health-related degree
   The typical entry requirements for most ADEA-recognised postgraduate courses are a health-related degree and current registration with Ahpra or similar regulating authority. Some universities will accept an Australian bachelor’s degree or overseas equivalent in a health-related field that doesn’t require Ahpra registration.

   In lieu of a health-related degree, some universities will accept previous relevant professional experience in diabetes education or care. Examples of relevant work experience could be public health promotion, diabetes research, nutrition and food science or a pharmaceutical representative of diabetes therapeutics.

2. Complete an ADEA-recognised postgraduate course
   The next step to becoming a diabetes educator is to complete an ADEA-recognised course, such as Curtin University’s Graduate Certificate in Diabetes or Deakin University’s Graduate Certificate of Diabetes Education.

   Exiting with this qualification means you’ll become a certified diabetes educator. For credentialling, continue with the below steps.

3. Become an ADEA member
   You can become a member of the ADEA either as a student, associate or bronze member, depending on where you are in your postgraduate education journey. Each membership level provides resources and support for healthcare professionals on the pathway to becoming a credentialled diabetes educator.

4. Complete the professional practice microcredential
   Obtaining the professional practice microcredential is part of the ADEA’s requirements for credentialled diabetes educators. This ensures you understand how to work within your scope of practice, understand the principles of your role and actively engage in self-reflective practices to identify growth opportunities for professional development.

5. Complete practical diabetes education experience
   The practical experience requirement of 500 hours is another ADEA-stipulated criteria for credentialling. These hours must be supervised to ensure you acquire a high-quality, relevant and hands-on learning experience that meets the professional standards expected in the field of diabetes education.

6. Engage in a mentoring program with the ADEA
   You must also complete six months of mentoring with an experienced CDE. These programs are fully supported with resources for both the mentor and mentee to ensure a smooth and comprehensive credentialling process.

7. Undertake a practical assessment
   The practical skills assessment is a new addition to the credentialling program which allows for a standardised skill evaluation. It is a clinical workplace-based assessment which includes a direct observational assessment, care-based clinical reporting and a self-reflection activity.

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Take your next step towards a career as a diabetes educator

If you’re interested in a career as a diabetes educator, consider a course in diabetes education to get started in this dynamic field. You can leverage your educational or professional experience to improve the lives of people living with diabetes.

Are you considering a career in another healthcare field? Discover postgraduate courses in social work, public health, counselling, nursing, psychology, leadership and mental health. Courses are delivered both online and on-campus, giving you greater flexibility to take on study around your work and personal life. Choose a course that suits your career goals and enquire to speak to a Student Enrolment Advisor for further guidance on the enrolment process.