New Diabetes Educator – a local with passion and a voice

Armidale local girl Teena Northam, is going from strength to strength in her nursing career, with her latest achievement securing a position with Armidale Community Health as their diabetes educator.

She said most of nursing experience has been with older people, firstly at Strathlea Nursing Home and then with the Aged Care Assessment Team (ACAT).

"I loved working at Strathlea as an Assistant in Nursing (AIN), but I really wanted to have more of a voice for the people I cared for," Teena said.

Five years of part time study at the University of New England later, Teena graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing and a strong commitment to improving health for people in the local community.

Teena said she imagined her future was with the Aged Care Assessment Team and started working with them earlier this year, when she was asked to do some temporary work with diabetes clients.

Her first introduction to the Diabetes Educator role was back in April, helping to arrange the annual Paediatric Diabetes Clinic for children with Type 1 Diabetes.

"These clinics involve children as young as two years of age who have been diagnosed with the condition, the cause of which is unknown," Teena said.

"The children need to learn about healthy eating, exercise and injecting insulin on a daily basis. Some children also use insulin pumps, which require significant education for the child and their family members.

"Last week I started in the more general role as Diabetes Educator, having had training and orientation with the Clinical Nurse Consultant in Tamworth Lynne Gilks.

"I will be working closely with our dietitian Andrew Roberts to run weekly diabetes clinics, mostly for older people with Type 2 Diabetes. This type of diabetes is largely lifestyle related and therefore diet, exercise and self management are key aspects of our support for people.

"As well as the Community Health role, we will be working with people with diabetes in hospital and through monthly clinics at Narwan and Guyra, as well as doing education with teachers who may have diabetic students.

"We also work closely with local doctors, and in fact we like to get a referral from doctors for newly diagnosed people with diabetes. It helps to maintain continuity of care for our clients," she said.

Teena said she will be working in the position full-time until September, when the previous Diabetes Educator Louise Vaughan returns from maternity leave, after which time they will job share.

"I may not have planned this move into Diabetes Education, but I really like it. It fits with my desire to help people improve their health, and that is great," she said.

Photo available – New diabetes educator at Armidale Community Health Teena Northam with one of the tiny glucometers which people use to measure blood glucose daily.