For children and youth younger than 20 years, diabetes is on the rise with an estimated 215,000 children and adolescents with type 1 or type 2, or approximately 0.26% of this age group. Annually, from 2002 to 2005 ‐‐ 15,600 youth were newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and 3,600 youth were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011).
Advancing diabetes technology and management have changed the way students manage their diabetes at school. Children are monitoring their blood glucose levels several times a day, calculating carbohydrate content of meals, and dosing insulin via syringe, pen and pump to achieve a blood glucose within a target range (Bobo, Kaup, McCarty & Carlson, 2011).
Each student with diabetes is unique in his or her disease process, developmental and intellectual abilities and levels of assistance required for disease management. The goals of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) and Individual Health Plan (IHP) are to promote normal or near normal blood glucose with minimal episodes of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, normal growth and development, positive mental health, and academic success (Kaufman, 2009).
The school nurse develops the IHP from the DMMP (medical orders) by collaborating with the child’s family, obtaining additional assessment findings, and outlining the diabetes management strategies and personnel needed to meet the student’s health goals in school (NDEP, 2010). The IHP identifies the student’s daily needs and management strategies for that student while in the school setting. The school nurse also coordinates the development and staff education of the Emergency Care Plan (ECP) which directs the actions to be taken by school personnel for symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.
Advancing diabetes technology and management have changed the way students manage their diabetes at school. Children are monitoring their blood glucose levels several times a day, calculating carbohydrate content of meals, and dosing insulin via syringe, pen and pump to achieve a blood glucose within a target range (Bobo, Kaup, McCarty & Carlson, 2011).
Each student with diabetes is unique in his or her disease process, developmental and intellectual abilities and levels of assistance required for disease management. The goals of the Diabetes Medical Management Plan (DMMP) and Individual Health Plan (IHP) are to promote normal or near normal blood glucose with minimal episodes of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, normal growth and development, positive mental health, and academic success (Kaufman, 2009).
The school nurse develops the IHP from the DMMP (medical orders) by collaborating with the child’s family, obtaining additional assessment findings, and outlining the diabetes management strategies and personnel needed to meet the student’s health goals in school (NDEP, 2010). The IHP identifies the student’s daily needs and management strategies for that student while in the school setting. The school nurse also coordinates the development and staff education of the Emergency Care Plan (ECP) which directs the actions to be taken by school personnel for symptoms of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.