3.5 Day Insulin Workshop

The 3.5 day class is recommended for people who require insulin to manage Diabetes. This includes individuals with newly diagnosed or longstanding Type 1 Diabetes and many people with insulin-treated Type 2 Diabetes or other type of Diabetes.

Participants attend classes on 4 consecutive days. The workshop meets for ½ day on Monday and all day the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

Here's what you will learn:

  • Understand Diabetes: its types, its causes and effects, and the goals of treatment
  • Effective ways of managing lifestyle changes: exercise, diet, meal planning, weight management and prevention of low blood glucose
  • How to manage insulin: principles of use, modes of action, dose adjustments
  • How to test blood glucose and ketones and develop skills for adjusting therapy
  • How to prevent and manage potential complications, both acute and chronic
  • How to recognize the psychosocial issues: emotional adjustment to Diabetes Mellitus, the role of family and support groups

Program outline

UCSF Diabetes Teaching Center 3½-Day Insulin Workshop

Each day will allow for individual time to discuss Diabetes care regimen with educators and Endocrinologist.
MONDAY: Check-in either time to be scheduled individually

Each consultation will take approximately 1 hour:
  • Diabetes-focused consultation and physical exam with an Diabetologist (MD)
  • Consultation with Certified Diabetes Dietitian Educator
  • Consultation with Certified Diabetes Nurse Educator

TUESDAY: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Morning:

  • Check-in, breakfast (bring your own) and dosing consultation with RN prior to eating 
  • Introductions/Educational Needs Assessment 
  • Introduction to carbohydrates 
  • Counting carbohydrates using food lists, scales, measuring cups and other resources
  • Sweeteners and sugar substitutes 
  • Reading food labels for insulin dosing  

Afternoon:

 

Medications: 

  • Purposes, actions, and interactions 
  • Basal & Bolus insulin therapy
  • Insulin delivery devices/proper needle disposal/proper lancet disposal 
  • Blood Glucose Monitoring 
  • Diabetes Distress
  • Individual evaluation of Diabetes treatment 
  • Individual Consultation with Endocrinologist and evaluation of Diabetes managment

WEDNESDAY: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Morning:

Acute complications

  • Check-in, breakfast (bring your own) and dosing consultation with RN 
  • Acute complications: Hyperglycemia/hypoglycemia, Diabetic Ketoacidosis
  • Sick day planning 
  • Use of health-care systems 
  • Problem solving with blood glucose records  
  • Travel tips 
  • Defining Diabetes:  Types, Causes, Treatment, New research 

Afternoon:

  • Review of carbohydrates 
  • Weight management 
  • Alcohol precautions 
  • Information on cholesterol and dietary fats 
  • Exercise guidelines 
  • Avoiding and treating low blood glucose
  • Sodium recommendations 
  • Individual Consultation with Endocrinologist and evaluation of Diabetes management

THURSDAY: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Morning:

  • Breakfast at home, check-in and review of overnight data 
  • Diabetes Technologies
  • Chronic complications including foot, skin, and dental care, preventive care strategies 
  • Preconception care, pregnancy, and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus 
  • Standards of Care 
  • Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and United Kingdom Study 
  • Hemoglobin A1c 

Afternoon:

  • Setting goals to improve Diabetes management 
  • Review of questions 
  • Integrating Diabetes into one’s life and coping with your emotions
  • Family support 
  • Community resources 
  • Individual Consultation with Endocrinologist and evaluation of Diabetes management

* Course outline subject to change depending upon class needs