Resources For School Nurses Managing Diabetes In School Settings

Diabetes management in educational settings requires specialized knowledge and resources to ensure the safety and well-being of students with diabetes. School nurses play a crucial role in providing care and support to these students, often needing access to training materials, demonstration supplies, and sometimes samples of diabetes management products. This article explores the available resources for school nurses, including training kits that contain glucose tablets and information about sample programs that may be accessible to healthcare professionals working in schools.

Training Resources for School Nurses

The American Diabetes Association's Safe at School® campaign offers comprehensive training resources specifically designed for school personnel. These resources aim to prepare and educate school staff to provide necessary care to students with diabetes. Through collaboration with students, parents, and diabetes healthcare providers, schools can create an environment where every child with diabetes has the opportunity to receive a quality education while safely participating in all school activities.

Free Webinars and Educational Content

The Safe at School® campaign provides several educational opportunities for school nurses, including:

• Free Brown Bag Lunch Webinars (30 minutes) designed specifically for school nurses
• A seven-part live webinar series covering topics such as core diabetes concepts, continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump use, nutrition, and legal protections
• Recorded one-hour webinars offering one free Continuing Education Unit (CEU) for each completed webinar
• On-demand access to these educational materials through the ADA's Institute of Learning

Updated Guidance and Recommendations

The campaign regularly updates its guidance based on current best practices and technological advancements. Recent additions include:

• Updated June 2025 Recommendations for the use of continuous glucose monitors in the school setting
• New guidance on insulin concentration for school nurses, emphasizing the importance of checking insulin pen or vial concentration before dosing
• Emergency lockdown preparation resources to ensure the needs of students with diabetes are met during emergencies
• Health Privacy Laws in the School Setting FAQ, addressing HIPAA and FERPA regulations

Specialized Training Programs

The American Diabetes Association is currently refreshing its school diabetes training program in the Pacific Northwest region. This program focuses on building a core base of well-trained diabetes educators to facilitate training sessions for non-clinical staff in schools and daycares. Ideal candidates have experience in pediatric diabetes care and education and use the ADA's training resources and materials.

Diabetes Skills Training Kits

Several organizations offer diabetes skills training kits that include glucose tablets and other essential supplies for educational purposes. These kits are designed to help school nurses and other healthcare professionals train school staff on diabetes management procedures.

Diabetes Skills Mini Training Kit

Available from School Health, the Diabetes Skills Mini Training Kit includes:

• 50 Urine Ketone Test Strips
• Reusable Glucagon Demo Kit (provided complimentary by Lilly, containing no liquids, powders, or needles)
• 10 ML Vial of Simulated Insulin
• 20 Insulin Syringes
• Injection Pad
• Alcohol Swabs
• Sharps Container
• 4 Pairs of Latex-Free Gloves
• Sample pack of glucose tablets
• Laminated guide to insulin pumps

This kit is priced at $250.99 and is currently in stock. It's important to note that this kit is "For Training Use Only. Not intended for human use."

Diabetes Skills Deluxe Training Kit

School Health also offers a Diabetes Skills Deluxe Training Kit, priced at $289.99, which is "Ships Soon." While the specific contents of this deluxe kit are not detailed in the provided source material, it likely includes additional supplies beyond those in the mini kit.

Using Training Kits for Staff Education

These training kits provide school nurses with the materials needed to demonstrate proper diabetes care procedures to school staff. The inclusion of glucose tablets in these kits allows for training on appropriate treatment of hypoglycemic episodes, a critical skill for personnel who may need to assist students with diabetes.

Sample Programs for Healthcare Professionals

Several companies offer sample programs that may provide materials beneficial for school nurses and diabetes education in school settings.

Curist Medicine Samples

Curist Medicine offers a program for healthcare professionals to obtain free medicine samples for their practices. Medical professionals nationwide work with Curist to provide high-quality, low-cost relief to patients. The program offers:

• Free medicine samples for doctor practices, nurses, and medical offices
• Drug coupons for patient use
• OTC medicine options to sell in doctor offices

To order free medicine samples or drug coupons, healthcare professionals can: - Fill out the contact form on the Curist website - Email [email protected] - Fax requests to 844-582-7143

While Curist doesn't specifically mention glucose tablets in the provided source material, their sample program could potentially include such products that might be useful for diabetes education in schools.

P&G Personal Health Sample Program

P&G Personal Health offers a program where healthcare professionals can sign up to receive free patient samples and coupons. According to their website:

"Patient samples are available to registered Diabetes Educators, Family Practice/Primary Care Physicians, Gastroenterologists, and Pharmacists only."

This suggests that school nurses who are also registered as Diabetes Educators may be eligible to receive samples through this program. However, the specific products available through this program are not detailed in the source material, and it doesn't explicitly mention glucose tablets.

Additional Resources for Diabetes Management in Schools

Beyond training kits and sample programs, several other resources are available to assist school nurses in diabetes management:

Safe at School® Case Studies

The American Diabetes Association has developed case studies to help school nurses, administrators, trained non-clinical school staff, providers, and parents/guardians plan and navigate diabetes care throughout the school day. These real-life scenarios reflect common questions and best practices in areas including:

• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) dosing and remote monitoring
• Insulin dose corrections

Undesignated Glucagon Toolkit

The Safe at School® campaign has developed resources for providing undesignated glucagon in schools as allowed by state law. Some states have passed undesignated glucagon laws (also called standing order laws) that enable schools to stock glucagon without a student-specific prescription. The toolkit includes information about:

• Acquiring undesignated glucagon for a school
• Training resources for glucagon administration
• A list of states with undesignated glucagon laws

Tips for School Nurses

The American Diabetes Association provides specific tips for school nurses to help coordinate diabetes care in the school setting. These tips include:

• Planning for the care of newly diagnosed or returning students
• Identifying where to seek training resources
• Preparation for field trips
• Information to provide to transportation personnel
• Other considerations for diabetes management in schools

Frequently Asked Questions

The ADA offers a FAQ section that addresses common questions school staff have about diabetes care, including:

• Whether students should be allowed to test blood glucose in the classroom
• Whether calling 911 is an adequate substitute for having school staff trained to respond to emergencies
• Whether honors students are eligible for a 504 Plan

Conclusion

School nurses require specialized resources to effectively manage diabetes in the school environment. While the provided source material does not explicitly detail a program for obtaining free glucose tablet samples specifically for school nurses, several resources are available that can support diabetes education and management in schools.

Training kits that include glucose tablets, such as the Diabetes Skills Mini Training Kit from School Health, provide essential materials for educating school staff on proper diabetes care procedures. Additionally, sample programs from companies like Curist Medicine and P&G Personal Health may offer materials beneficial for diabetes education, though eligibility and specific product availability may vary.

The American Diabetes Association's Safe at School® campaign offers comprehensive resources, including training materials, guidance documents, and case studies, to support school nurses in providing quality care to students with diabetes. By utilizing these resources and collaborating with healthcare providers and parents, schools can create a safe and supportive environment for students with diabetes to thrive academically and socially.

Sources

1. Safe at School Training Resources
2. Curist Medicine Samples for Doctor Practices
3. Diabetes Skills Training Kits
4. P&G Personal Health