by Kim Coy DeCoste RN, MSN, CDE
It can be quite concerning when you ask your patients attending a DSME class “How many of you have had your feet checked for blood flow and nerve function by your health care provider?”, and far less than half of them raise their hands. Probing a little further, you find that a number of patients have never even had their feet visually inspected by their health care provider (HCP) for signs of diabetic foot ulcers. This isn’t unique to my practice site. Recently when I was teaching a professional education program with diabetes educators from across the US, most in the group concurred with my findings.
As diabetes educators, we often find ourselves in unplanned situations when teaching DSME Classes. One I could have never predicted happened last spring when I found myself teaching class in a basement bathroom that also served as a storm shelter. Spring storms in Kentucky often spawn tornadoes, and that was the case on this day.
