Eligibility Requirements
1/28/2010
- General Information
- Definition of DSME
- Eligibility Requirements - Introduction
- Eligibility Requirements - Discipline
- Eligibility Requirements - Professional Practice Experience
- Eligibility Requirements - Application Fee
General Information
The Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators is designed and intended solely for health care professionals who have defined roles as diabetes educators, not for those who may perform some diabetes related functions as part of or in the course of other usual and customary duties (See definition of diabetes education below).
Definition of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME)
Diabetes education, also referred to as diabetes self-management education or diabetes self-management training is performed by health care professionals who have appropriate credentials and experience consistent with the particular profession’s scope of practice. For purposes of this web site, diabetes self-management education (DSME) is used.
DSME± involves the person with pre-diabetes or diabetes and/or the caregivers and the educator(s) and is defined as the ongoing process of facilitating the knowledge, skill, and ability necessary for self-care. It is a component of a comprehensive plan of diabetes care. The process incorporates the needs, goals and life experiences of the person with pre-diabetes or diabetes and is guided by evidence-based standards. The overall objectives of DSME are to support informed decision-making, self-care behaviors, problem-solving and active collaboration with the health care team and to improve clinical outcomes, health status, and quality of life. The process includes:
- An individual assessment and education plan developed collaboratively by the individual and educator(s) to direct the selection of appropriate educational interventions and self-management support strategies.
- Educational interventions directed toward helping the individual achieve self-management goals
- Periodic evaluations to determine attainment of educational objectives or need for additional interventions and future reassessments.
- A personalized follow-up plan developed collaboratively by the individual and educator(s) for ongoing self-management support.
- Documentation in the education record of the assessment and education plan and the intervention and outcomes.
±Adapted from National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education, American Diabetes Association Clinical Practice Recommendations. Diabetes Care, Vol. 32, Supplement 1, January, 2009.
Click here to download‡ the informational brochure for the 2010 Examinations.
Eligibility Requirements for Initial Certification 2010
Individuals who have not previously taken or passed the Examination or whose CDE® credentials lapsed prior to 12/31/2009 must meet the requirements.
Note: Individuals applying with qualifying advanced degrees (1.C. or 1.D. below) are required to use the paper application method and official transcripts must be submitted with the application. Applicants meeting discipline requirement 1.A. or 1.B. may apply using either the on-line application process or submitting a paper application. Click here for application information.
To qualify for the Examination, the following requirements must be met at the time of application and Examination:
| NOTE: Those individuals who meet either 1.A. or 1. B. - AND - 1.C. or 1.D. (below) must apply under 1.A. current license or 1.B. current registration. |
- License: Clinical psychologist, registered nurse, occupational therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, physical therapist, physician (M.D. or D.O.), or podiatrist holding a current, active, unrestricted license from the United States or its territories.
OR
- Registration: Dietitian holding active registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration, physician assistant holding active registration with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, or exercise physiologist holding active certification as an American College of Sports Medicine Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist® (minimum of a master's degree).
OR
- Other: Health care professional with a minimum of a master's degree* in social work from a United States college or university accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body.
OR
- Other: Health care professional with a minimum of a master's degree* in nutrition, health education, or specified areas of public health from a United States college or university accredited by a nationally recognized regional accrediting body.**
* To verify the program of study specific to the acceptable areas of concentration, an official transcript that indicates that an advanced degree was awarded and the area of concentration must be submitted with the Application for the Examination.
** Eligibility on the basis of an advanced degree in nutrition, health education, or public health is no longer available, except those qualifying degrees that were completed and conferred by the degree granting institution by the end of 2005, provided that the professional practice experience in diabetes self-management education is also completed and an Application submitted no later than 5 years after the degree was conferred. For the spring 2010 examination, the degree would need to have been conferred no earlier than January 15, 2005 – March 15, 2005 (exact date dependent upon date of application). For the fall 2010 examination, the degree would need to have been conferred no earlier than July 15, 2005 – September 15, 2005 (exact date dependent upon date of application).
Advanced degrees in public health must be in an area of concentration specific to health education, health promotion, health and social behavior, or health communication. A degree in any other track or concentration, including administration, health policy, epidemiology, biostatistics, or population studies, is not accepted.
- Professional Practice Experience
After meeting the Discipline requirement and before applying for the Examination, all (A through C) of the following requirements must be met:
- Minimum of two (2) years to the day of professional practice experience in the discipline under which the individual is applying for certification (examples: if an individual applies for certification as a registered nurse, 2 years experience working as a registered nurse is required; if an individual applies as a registered dietitian, 2 years experience working as a registered dietitian is required).
AND
- Minimum of 1000 hours of DSME experience with a minimum of 40% of those hours (400 hours) accrued in the most recent year preceding application. (See definition of DSME)
In meeting the hourly requirement, professional practice experience is defined as employment for compensation as a diabetes educator in the United States or its territories within the past four (4) years. Employment for compensation means to hold a job in which one is actively engaged in DSME and for which paid income is comparable to other diabetes educators in the same area or region of the country.
AND
- Minimum of 15 clock hours of continuing education activities applicable to diabetes within the two (2) years prior to applying for certification.
This requirement will follow the same overall guidelines as renewal of certification by continuing education.
- Minimum of two (2) years to the day of professional practice experience in the discipline under which the individual is applying for certification (examples: if an individual applies for certification as a registered nurse, 2 years experience working as a registered nurse is required; if an individual applies as a registered dietitian, 2 years experience working as a registered dietitian is required).
- Application Fee(s) Payment
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