Diabetic Hypoglycemia
Course Overview
The occurrence of hypoglycemia can be traumatic for the patient as well as the healthcare professional caring for them. Hypoglycemia is significantly problematic for people with diabetes. Patients experience short-term effects and, in some cases, long-term adverse results. Startlingly, it is not uncommon for the individual to have a lack of warning of the hypoglycemic episode. With this in mind, a strong understanding of the pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment is needed for healthcare professionals caring for this population. Early recognition and understanding of the cause of this complication is imperative for appropriate treatment, prevention, and reduced adverse outcomes. Healthcare professionals are increasingly required to do more with less, and solid evaluation and assessment skills are vital to safe practice in the home, long-term care, and acute care settings.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Define hypoglycemia and its effects on community health.
- Describe the pathophysiology of hypoglycemia.
- Outline risk factors for hypoglycemic events, including the use of specific herbal medications.
- List signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia.
- Identify causes of hypoglycemia, including medications and non-medication-related factors.
- Compare treatment options for hypoglycemia.
- Describe education topics to incorporate into patient teaching regarding hypoglycemia prevention.
About the Author/Presenter
Diane Thompson, RN, MSN, CDE, CLNC, has an extensive history in nursing and nursing education. She possesses a strong background in diabetes and cardiac care, starting her professional career at the cardiac care area of the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Ms. Thompson took the knowledge and experience she learned from the Cleveland Clinic and transferred it into the home health arena in rural Ohio, after which she moved to Florida and obtained further knowledge while working as a PRN nurse in all areas, including medical/surgical, intensive care, emergency, critical care, and cardiology. With a desire to have a specific area to concentrate her profession, Ms. Thompson accepted a position as a pneumonia case manager, which led into a diabetes case manager career.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing
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