Nurses Can Support Diabetes Patients Both Medically, Emotionally

In an interview with Contemporary Clinic, patient with diabetes Phyllisa Deroze, PhD, and Joseph Delahunty, Global Head of Communications at Ascensia Diabetes Care, said that supporting patients’ mental health is just as important as their physical health, especially when it comes to chronic conditions, such as diabetes.

Deroze is a participant in Ascensia Diabetes Care’s 2020 World Diabetes Day campaign, which promoted the theme “Nurses Make the Difference for Diabetes” by sharing videos of 28 patients with diabetes who have written letters to their nurses to express their appreciation and gratitude. Deroze said she wrote about a nurse who gave her the skills and confidence to administer her own insulin and supported her during the emotional period following her diagnosis.

“[Nurses] really are a key and central part of diabetes management,” Delahunty said. “Some of the key messages this year are not just highlighting the important role that they play, but also the need to have more nurses and the importance in investing in education and training for nurses so that they have the right expertise to help people with diabetes.”