Registered Nurse - Diabetes Educator and Endocrinology Care Coordinator

Western Wisconsin Health is seeking a full-time Registered Nurse (1.0 FTE) to work with our Endocrine team of providers and staff and serve as the organizations Diabetes Educator. The Registered Nurse – Diabetes Educator/Endocrinology Care Coordinator’s primary function is to guide patient through the health care system by assisting with access to care challenges, developing relationships with service providers, tracking interventions, outcomes and follow ups.  Follow patients through the continuum of care including post discharge follow up. The RN collaborates with other professional disciplines to ensure effective and efficient patient care delivery and the achievement of desired patient outcomes.  All of this is done to support the organization’s mission while living our values.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Conducts patient education classes in an individual or group setting;
• Works collaboratively with the Endocrine team;
• Explains pathophysiology of diabetes including characteristic signs and symptoms;
• Identifies the risk factors which contribute significantly to the microvascular, macrovascular, and neurological complications of diabetes;
• Identifies the effects of hormonal changes at different life stages on blood glucose levels;
• Serves as a resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines in diabetes education for implementation in a variety of patient care settings;
• Uses advanced knowledge and specialization to provide diabetes consultation to medical staff, nursing staff, and other healthcare providers;
• Establishes a collaborative and collegial relationship with medical staff, advanced nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, care management pharmacists and other disciplines;
• Administers pre-program assessment;
• Utilizes assessment findings with patient education;
• Develops an education plan including specific objective goals based on a core curriculum of diabetes content topics and self-care behaviors;
• Maintains communication of all education encounters;
• Describes standards of care for patients with diabetes;
• Administers pre and post program assessments;
• Maintains patient records and keeps program data entered concurrently;
• Participates in continuing education opportunities to remain current;
• Assists other healthcare providers to develop and apply age-appropriate teaching strategies;
• Assesses health literacy, barriers to learning, and readiness to learn Assesses diabetes self-management skills and knowledge of diabetes;
• Demonstrates awareness, understanding and respect of cultural diversity and patients of all ages and socioeconomic groups; and,
• Other duties as assigned.