From a young age, I knew I wanted to be a nurse. After becoming an RN, I found that earning the CDCES credential would be a perfect fit for combining nursing and my interest in diabetes. At first, I worked in an adult endocrinology office, then moved into a pediatric endocrinology clinic. After working in pediatric endocrinology for some time, I was able to get certified as a CDCES.
What or Who Motivated You to Become a CDCES?
At 13 months old, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, so I have never known life without diabetes. As a kid, I spent a lot of time in the pediatric diabetes clinic; I always thought how helpful it would be to work with a provider who had diabetes. When I was a young adult and transferred to the adult clinic, my new endocrinologist had diabetes. I found her ability to relate very helpful and decided working with people with diabetes was something I would pursue.
On Opportunities Provided as a Result of Holding the CDCES Credential
By holding the CDCES credential, I have been able to work in an ADA-recognized pediatric diabetes clinic. This opportunity has helped me expand my diabetes knowledge base and provide quality care to patients. It has also enabled me to work with the newest diabetes technology, which is one of my favorite topics to teach. After building my diabetes education experience, I moved to my current role at Tandem Diabetes Care. This role has allowed me to continue to care for patients with diabetes while working with some of the newest diabetes technology.
What Would You Say to Someone Who is Considering Becoming a CDCES?
Like many careers in the healthcare field, this one is gratifying! You can work with various people, which keeps the job interesting. I would also say to remember that chronic illness is challenging for patients and their caregivers. We all need a little grace at times, and you would be surprised how much patients and caregivers appreciate acknowledging the burden of diabetes.
Share an Achievement or Special Moment You’ve had as a CDCES
One of the most memorable moments I’ve had as CDCES was a patient I had followed in clinical for several years. When the patient was newly diagnosed, I provided the family with initial education. In the years that followed, I got to continue their education in the clinic. During a clinic visit, the patient’s mother said they would like to know more about becoming a CDCES. The patient stated that she felt inspired by working together for the past few years and wanted to look into pursuing a career in diabetes care and education herself. It was very heartwarming to not only have assisted the family with learning about diabetes management but also to have potentially sparked the patient’s interest in a diabetes-related healthcare profession.
If you want to be featured in a future CDCES Story, please contact Susan Hall.
