T1D Tuesday is a blog series on TypeOneNation.org that
features guest bloggers who are sharing their voices of how T1D affects
their life. For the month of August we are featuring all things Back to School!

Today we have Sarah Butler, MS, RN, CDE, NCSN and Director of Diabetes and Nursing Education sharing her tips on working with your school nurse to support your child with T1D during the year.

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The beginning of the school year is both an exciting and anxious time for parents and their children with type 1 diabetes (T1D). School nurses are ready to help coordinate the team that provides support for your child’s health needs at school and promotes academic success. From my experience as a school nurse and certified diabetes educator (CDE), I am happy to share some suggestions to help make a smooth transition from home to school.

1. Contact the school and ask for a meeting with the school nurse (registered nurse). Meeting face-to- face helps establish the trusting relationship, and helps to decrease the fear and anxiety of leaving your child in someone else’s care.

2. Provide the school nurse with the medical orders from your healthcare provider (diabetes medical management plan) along with written consent that allows the school nurse to communicate with your child’s diabetes team about the goals of self-management. Each time  the school nurse interacts with your child, they  build on the health  goals that you and your healthcare provider are working on.

3. Ask the school nurse what their experience has been with children with t1d if you are new to the school, and update the school nurse on any changes in your child’s diabetes self-management skills or equipment over the summer. Diabetes technology is changing rapidly, and if you have training materials or resources for the pump, pod, or sensor that your child is using, offer them for the school nurse to review.

4. Work with the school nurse to establish a system of communication that works for you, the school nurse, the school personnel, the healthcare provider, and your child. The school nurse will create an Individualized Healthcare Plan (IHP) that includes plans for field trips, classroom parties, responding to hypo and hyperglycemia, and disaster plans for lockdown or evacuation. The IHP may be used to develop a 504 Plan.  A good communication plan is essential for your child’s safety and educational success.

I was in the middle of a 6 hour flight from Baltimore, MD to Oakland, California to present a diabetes workshop for school nurses. I was feeling fatigued when my inner voice spoke to me, “If I can help one school nurse make the school experience better for one child with diabetes, then it is all worth it.” 

That was 6 years ago and to date  more than 8,900 school nurses in 40 states, D.C., and Germany have participated in the National Association of School Nurses (NASN)  H.A.N.D.S.SM  (Helping Administer to the Needs of the Student with Diabetes in School) educational program. Many local JDRF chapters sponsored the program for their school nurses.  The H.A.N.D.S.SM   health care plans, school forms, diabetes procedures, and skills checklists, plus resources and information about diabetes and school are available at www.nasn.org or http://www.nasn.org/ToolsResources/DiabetesinChildren.

Wishing you a great school year!