School Nurses’ Comfort With Diabetes Management and Technology From 2012 to 2019

Abstract

<p> </p> <p><strong>Objective. </strong>School nurses are integral to optimizing diabetes management for students with type 1 diabetes. The aim of this study was to describe the use of diabetes technology in schools over time and assess school nurses’ comfort level performing diabetes management tasks.</p> <p><strong>Study design. </strong>From 2012 to 2019, school nurses who attended a diabetes education program completed a survey about their experience and comfort level with diabetes management. </p> <p><strong>Results. </strong>A total of 1,796 school nurses completed the survey; 56% had at least 5 years of school nursing experience. Most (86%) had at least one student with type 1 diabetes. Among school nurses with at least one student with type 1 diabetes, 73% had at least one student using insulin pump therapy, and 48% had at least one student using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). There was no change in pump use over time, but the percentage of nurses who had a student using CGM increased significantly from 24% in 2012 to 86% in 2019 (<em>P </em><0.001). School nurses’ comfort level using pumps remained stable over time. Overall, 47% reported being mostly/very comfortable giving boluses using a pump, and 17% reported being mostly/very comfortable troubleshooting problems with a pump. However, there was a significant increase in school nurses reporting feeling mostly/very comfortable working with CGM devices, increasing from 9% in 2012 to 44% in 2019 (<em>P </em><0.001). </p> <p><strong>Conclusion.</strong> School nurses are an integral part of diabetes management for school-aged youth with type 1 diabetes. There is a need for additional diabetes education and support to build their confidence with diabetes management and technology, especially with further technological advancements in management.</p>