How to Become a Diabetes Educator

By Camilla Andersson, Monster Contributor

The demand for healthcare professionals who specialize in diabetes is climbing, with projected job growth of over 12% over the next few years. What’s behind this growing need for diabetes specialists? The prevalence of diabetes has increased over the past few decades, and about 11% of the U.S. population is now living with this disabling and chronic disease.

This is why diabetes educators have become essential to the healthcare system. Diabetes educators coach patients on how to manage their condition, helping them to live healthier and longer lives.

Interested in learning how to become a diabetes educator? Read on to find out what education and certifications you’ll need as well as what your day-to-day will look like as a diabetes educator.

What Is a Diabetes Educator?

Diabetes educators are healthcare professionals who specialize in helping diabetes patients manage their condition. They typically work at a healthcare practice such as a clinic or physician’s office. Most diabetes educators have a solid background in healthcare.

What Does a Diabetes Educator Do?

Diabetes educators teach diabetes patients how to manage their disease through either one-on-one settings or group sessions such as classes or workshops. Some also see prediabetic patients to educate them on preventive measures. These are some common topics diabetes educators cover:

  • diet
  • exercise
  • how to monitor blood glucose levels
  • how to administer insulin and other medications
  • foot and skin care
  • how to reduce the risk of other medical conditions that often accompany diabetes
  • how to navigate health insurance issues
  • mental health care, like building a support network with other diabetes patients
  • relevant products and services

Besides working directly with patients, some diabetes educators also manage and oversee a diabetes education program for a healthcare facility or organization. This can include responsibilities such as:

  • identifying at-risk populations
  • planning and implementing training for healthcare staff
  • collaborating with sales and marketing departments to develop and promote products and services
  • ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations
  • ensuring compliance with accreditations
  • developing education materials
  • leading workshops and presentations for staff
  • reviewing and recommending diabetes policies and procedures for the workplace

How to Become a Diabetes Educator

There is no universal definition of the term “diabetes educator.” Job requirements for being a diabetes educator vary, but many jobs look for candidates who are certified diabetes care and education specialists (CDCES). This was formerly called Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). You get this certification from the National Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE), but you need a few years of experience in diabetes education and care before you can get a diabetes educator certification.

Jobs that don’t require diabetes educator certification will have varying prerequisites but typically require a healthcare degree. Diabetes educator isn’t usually an entry-level position but a specialty for healthcare professionals with a few years of experience. You should therefore decide what career path in healthcare you want to pursue first before you focus on becoming a diabetes educator.

Most diabetes educators start their careers as a registered nurse. If you choose this route, you might also be called a diabetes nurse educator, or a certified diabetes nurse educator if you hold a CBCDE certification. You can also choose another specialty, for example as a dietitian you want to specialize in nutrition, or a pharmacist if you want to focus on diabetes medications.

You’ll need excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build a career as a diabetes educator. You’ll also need to be highly organized and collaborate well with other healthcare professionals and administrators.

How to Become a Diabetes Educator With CDCES Certification

To become a CDCES specialist through the CBDCE, you must pass their exam. You’ll need to meet the following requirements to become a diabetes educator certified through CBCDE.

1. Become a Qualified Healthcare Professional

You need to be a healthcare professional to apply for diabetes educator certification with the CBDCE. The traditional way of meeting this requirement is called the standard pathway. You can meet this by one of three options:

  • a license in a healthcare profession listed on the website
  • a registration or certification in one of the disciplines listed
  • a master’s degree in social work

If you don’t qualify through the standard pathway, you can take an alternative route called the unique pathway. This requires:

  • A minimum of a master’s degree in a health-related area from a nationally accredited U.S. college or university

2. Get Professional Experience in Diabetes Care and Education

The second step is to get work experience both in your field and in diabetes care. You can meet this requirement by:

  • 2 years of professional practice experience in your discipline
  • 1,000 hours providing diabetes care and education in the 5 years prior to your application date

3. Take 15 Hours of Continuing Education About Diabetes

You’ll need 15 continuing education (CE) hours applicable to diabetes earned within 2 years prior to taking the exam. Qualifying classes need to be from a list of approved providers, for example the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

4. Pass the CBDCE Exam

The CBCDE exam includes 200 multiple-choice questions. You’ll have 4 hours for the exam. The exam includes 25 questions designed to collect statistics that are not counted towards your score, but you won’t know which ones those are. You can sign up for an optional practice exam before you take the actual exam.

The exam covers diabetes topics such as health, self-management, interventions, monitoring of blood glucose levels, nutrition, and medications.

How Much Is a Typical Diabetes Educator’s Salary?

Diabetes educators make a median salary of $62,038, but salaries can vary greatly depending on where you live and work. To find out what locations pay the most, and to see how much you could make in your city, use Monster’s salary tools.

How to Become a Diabetes Educator: Finding a Job

Whether you’re just getting started in your healthcare profession or you’re ready to specialize as a diabetes educator, you’ll need a well-written job application. Follow our advice for cover letters and resumes for the healthcare industry to get some ideas for how to make yours stand out.

When you’re ready, you can find diabetes educator jobs on Monster.

You can also search for jobs in the top five states and cities for health education specialists. The states with the highest demand are:

The top cities in the U.S. for healthcare educator jobs are:

Educate Yourself on the Job Market on Monster

After you’ve learned how to become a diabetes educator, create a Monster account to step up your job search game. Get insider information on the latest job openings in diabetes education, as well as helpful career advice on how to create the perfect job application. We make it easy to start the career you’ve always wanted.