With daily advances in diabetes management, there is always something new to learn, whether a person was just diagnosed or has suffered the disease for decades. Diabetic nutrition education is vital to the health and well-being of everyone with diabetes. Paired with a physician's care, this education helps the diabetic deal with the physical aspects of having a chronic disease. Teaching and planning diabetic nutrition classes require a degree in health care and specialized education in diabetes.
Planning Diabetic Nutrition
Step 1
Find out where and when you are expected to teach. Once you know the location, you will also know your teaching limitations. Find out if there is any audiovisual equipment available for your teaching sessions.
Step 2
Know your intended audience. You must teach according to the age and culture of your class. A group of school-age children will not have the cognitive skills to understand an in-depth class on carbohydrates and blood sugar. Likewise, if you are teaching at a Jewish community center, you should factor kosher foods into your education plan.
Step 3
Interview your clients prior to teaching classes, if possible. Many assessments, such as the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire, take minutes for the client to complete. Learn about their diabetes nutrition knowledge deficits and focus teaching materials in those areas.
Step 4
Plan your classes. Diabetes nutrition education is a diverse topic -- nutrition classes are usually given in weekly sessions. Start with an overview of the disease and nutrition basics if the people you are teaching are newly diagnosed diabetics.
Teaching a Class
Step 1
Start the first class with an overview of diabetes and nutrition if you could not assess their knowledge base beforehand. Keep classes to brief, 30-minute sessions. Long, drawn-out classes might impart too much knowledge and overload your students. Plan lessons around the intricacies of diabetic nutrition, such as carb counting and serving sizes.
Step 2
Use all of the available teaching methods. Some people are visual learners who need handouts to understand teaching topics. Slide shows can be made on your laptop and are informative, but don't let them overshadow the importance of conversational teaching.
Step 3
Request return demonstration of the knowledge at the end of class. Ask questions to engage the group and ensure that they retained some of the diabetic nutrition teaching. Using open-ended questions is a good way to stimulate conversation about a topic such as "What did this class mean to you?" or "How could you put this knowledge into use in your daily lives?"
Tips and Warnings
- Consider bringing in specialists as guest speakers for a change of pace and different perspectives.
References
- "The Practice of Patient Education: A Case Study Approach"; Barbara Klug Redman; 2007
- American Diabetes Association; "Clinical Diabetes; Medical Nutrition Therapy, A Key to Diabetes Management and Nutrition"; January 2010; Sara Morris and Judith Wylie-Rosette
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