How Healthcare Professionals Can Earn CDCES Certification Hours
Becoming a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) is an incredible achievement that not only demonstrates your expertise but also reflects your unwavering commitment to improving the lives of individuals with diabetes.
Whether you’re already on this path or just considering it, the fact that you are exploring the certification process shows your dedication to expanding your knowledge and enhancing the care you provide to individual with diabetes. Achieving this certification allows you to make an even greater impact in the field of diabetes care and education, empowering those with diabetes to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
If you are just getting started, you may be wondering what counts toward the 1000 hours of Diabetes Self Management (DSME) Experience.
Below is an excerpt from the CBDCE Exam Handbook regarding what hours count towards this 1000-hour DSME requirement:
- Assessment: The participant’s DCE needs are identified. This process is led by the participant with the assessment and support of the educator.
- Education and Care Plan: The participant’s individualized education and care plan is developed. The plan reflects the participant’s self-management goals and current evidence and practice guidelines and includes criteria for evaluating outcomes.
- Interventions: The specialist delivers intervention options to assist the participant in meeting self-management goals.
- Ongoing Support: The specialist provides options for ongoing support and resources. The support option(s) is selected by the participant to best meet their self-management goals.
- Participant Progress: The specialist will monitor and communicate whether the participant is achieving their self-management goals and other outcome(s) to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Additional assessments are based on the participant’s needs across the lifespan.
- Documentation: The specialist documents the assessment, education plan, intervention, and outcomes in the participant’s health record.
- Services Development/Administration: Development and administrative activities performed as part of DSMES services.
How Do I Track My Hours?
Tracking your activities and hours consistently is key, and these varied approaches can help you meet the requirements while making a positive impact in the community.
To log your hours we created the Diabetes Management Hours Tracker. The column “Remaining Hours Needed” is a formula that is tied to “Hours Completed” so be sure to only put numbers in the hour’s column so the formula automatically deducts those hours to get the remaining hours you need.
Work Experience Hours: How To Gain Hands-On Experience
Meeting the 1,000-hour requirement for the Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) exam is achievable with a variety of approaches. The hours needed can include volunteer or paid hours. Below are some practical ways to accumulate hours if you are not able to accrue enough hours in your current work environment.
- Volunteer in Community Health Programs or Diabetes Camps
- Offer your expertise to local diabetes prevention or management programs, such as YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program, Diabetes Camps, or similar initiatives.
- Shadow a Diabetes Education Specialist in your Community
- Search for already existing diabetes programs in your community and volunteer to help with their diabetes program. This might even evolve into a paid position in the future.
- Join ADCES Local Networking Diabetes Groups
- Networking with diabetes educators in your area can lead to opportunities to gain hours and possible future employment.
- Join Diabetes Support Groups
- Facilitate or assist with support groups in person or online to provide guidance and share educational resources.
- Offer Educational Workshops or Webinars
- Create and present workshops for people with diabetes or even train other healthcare professionals about aspects of diabetes management.
- Collaborate with Pharmacies
- Partner with local pharmacies to provide diabetes education to people picking up diabetes-related medications or supplies.
- Participate in Health Screenings or Free Health Clinics
- Assist with diabetes screenings, provide educational coaching at health fairs, or sign up to provide diabetes coaching at your local free clinic.
- Support Long-Term Care Facilities
- Offer diabetes-related education to staff and residents in long-term care or assisted living facilities.
- Write or Develop Educational Content
- If you’re skilled in writing, contribute to diabetes educational materials for local papers and websites. You can count the time spent on research and content development towards your hours.
- Join our Facebook Certification Exam Study Group
- This group is great for networking, connecting with colleagues and sharing study tips.
Conclusion: You’ve Got This!
The road to becoming or renewing your CDCES certification may feel like a big task, but remember—you’re not alone in this journey. You’re part of a supportive community of healthcare professionals dedicated to improving diabetes care. By earning the required hours through work experience, and volunteer opportunities, you’ll build the skills and knowledge needed to pass the exam and make a lasting impact in the field of diabetes care.
You’ve already made the commitment to be the best diabetes care provider you can be. Keep going—you’re doing amazing things, and we’re here to support you along the way. If you need guidance or resources to get started, check out DiabetesEd.net for accredited courses, webinars, and study materials designed to help you succeed! We are excited to welcome you to this diabetes education community and hope you find this information helpful!
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