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12-11-2020 | World Diabetes Day 2020 | View from the clinic | Article

Why nurses make difference: A Kenyan perspective

Author: Atieno Jalang'o

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Diabetes mellitus is a disorder affecting over 462 million people worldwide. In Kenya, one in 10 people live with diabetes. People with diabetes often live with it for life. This imposes a great responsibility on their lives. They cannot do it alone and therefore they need guidance and skills to effectively make daily decisions and actions for optimal outcomes. It is a lifelong commitment. They can do this by engaging with their care providers (often nurses) who deliver diabetes self-management education. It is therefore befitting that the 2020 World Diabetes Day focuses on nurses and the difference they are making in diabetes care.

I have been engaged in diabetes care in the Kenyan setup for over 20 years. I witnessed first-hand the important role that nurses play in imparting self-management education. The lack of health educators necessitates that nurses take up this role. More than that, they also come in very handy in diabetes self-management support as they are often the most accessible and have closer contact with patients with diabetes. In centers where there are no counsellors or psychologists, nurses often double up to offer psychosocial support to patients with diabetes. Many patients will often develop a rapport with nurses and often it is the nurses who in turn communicate sensitive matters that patients need addressed by clinicians.

Therefore, nurses are the glue that keeps diabetes care teams together in our Kenyan health setting. They may not head the diabetes team but are often charged with ensuring the team functions by providing critical linkages to the team members. They keep the team running and therefore ensure patients get the most out of their interaction with their care team. I can only add my voice to laud the nurses for truly making a difference: they make diabetes care sweet.

About the author

Atieno Jalang'o

Atieno Jalang'o is a clinical officer with over 20 years of experience in health education, clinical medicine, and public health in Sub-Saharan Africa. 


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