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Diabetes educator focuses on making life easier for everyone affected by chronic disease
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HOUSTON — Carolé Mensing, RN, MA, CDE, FAADE, literally helped write the book on diabetes education, shaping the Art and Science of Diabetes Education Desk Reference from its initial conception to its current fourth edition.
Driven by the role diabetes has played in her family as well as her desire to work directly with people with diabetes, Mensing has spent her career perfecting the delivery of diabetes education. She has served as an authority for both the American Association of Diabetes Educators and the American Diabetes Association.
Mensing, who is recipient of this year’s AADE Lifetime Achievement Award, spoke with Endocrine Today about her own path and the importance of emphasizing diabetes education early in the career of health care providers.
What was the defining moment that led you to your field?
Mensing: Two things: One is that we have diabetes in our family, especially on my father’s side, and secondly, the realization that I was working in the hospital and not really getting a lot of time with people who had chronic disease. I finally decided that working outpatient would be the way to go because I would have more access to people and time for education.
What are some of the most important developments that you have helped push forward in terms of diabetes education during your career?
Mensing: Diabetes education is both the clinical and educational management that educators provide. Recognition of those educators — whether they’re certified diabetes educators or general educators — has been an important piece of my life.
The second part would be the legislation that has led to people affected by diabetes and those with diabetes to be able to participate in regular life activities without bias.
What advice would you offer a student going into clinical health care today?
Mensing: Having worked with medical students and interns who are in the clinical profession, I would advise today’s students to be aware of the effect of chronic disease not only on the person affected, but also on their families, relatives and their community. Health care providers must be more conscious of how education can help smooth the path and make lives better and tolerable for those affected by chronic disease.
What area of research most interests you right now and why?
Mensing: Right now, it’s not just new medications, but the technology that supports insulin infusion. Technology, basically, is the way to go in all of our chronic disease fields.
What do you think will have the greatest influence on your field in the next 10 years?
Mensing: Definitely continued research and funding for diabetes research both in the field of clinical management and technology advancement. I also really want to support the role that educators can play in helping people to manage the disease that they have. ― by Phil Neuffer