Challenge the School Nurse | National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN)

Challenge the School Nurse

September 2025

At the start of the school year, in addition to creating a diabetes management plan, what is the most important action for the school nurse to take?

1. Meet with the student, family, and health-care provider to plan how to respond to changes in blood sugar levels.

2. Review with the student and family the current nursing guidelines for recognizing and treating diabetic ketoacidosis.

3. Make sure the student’s family understands that diabetes is caused by damage to pancreatic cells, often linked to a viral or autoimmune trigger.

4. Explain the disease process of diabetes and discuss possible long-term outcomes for the student.

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