Tools for Schools: Diabetes Management in the School Setting
This conference will be focused on diabetes mellitus management in the school setting. Diabetes is among the most common chronic conditions of childhood, with the vast majority of cases in the US being type 1 diabetes. Management consists of glucose monitoring, medical nutrition therapy, physical activity, and insulin therapy. Children with type 1 diabetes are increasingly dependent on modern diabetes devices, including continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. AID systems integrate glucose sensor data from the CGM into an algorithm for an insulin pump to adjust some aspets of inThe majority of this conference will focus on diabetes management in the school setting, where diabetes—most commonly type 1—is a prevalent chronic condition of childhood. Management includes glucose monitoring, nutrition therapy, physical activity, and insulin use, with increasing reliance on technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. While these tools improve care, they also present challenges for school nurses, including limited training and the need to manage alarms and remote monitoring. The conference will also address medical nutrition therapy, emphasizing its critical role in glucose control, common school-related challenges (e.g., independent food choices, picky eating, and activity coordination), and practical strategies to support students. Additional sessions will cover care coordination, legal considerations, and development of diabetes medical management plans. Finally, the conference will include guidance on adrenal insufficiency, a rare but serious condition requiring lifelong cortisol replacement, with a focus on recognizing adrenal crisis and administering emergency treatment such as Solu-Cortef in the school setting..
Target Audience
Nurse
Nurse Practitioner
Learning Objectives
At the end of the presentations the learner will be able to:
- Understand types of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems and how they work.
- Develop strategies to address common scenarios working with AID systems.
- Identify tips and tricks for troubleshooting diabetes technology problems in the school setting.
- Understand recommendations for optimal nutrition management in different forms of diabetes.
- Describe resources for carbohydrate counting or other nutritional support.
- List strategies to address hypoglycemia prevention for activity.
- Understand the causes and characteristics of adrenal insufficiency.
- Identify the presenting signs and symptoms of adrenal crisis.
- Interpret school orders for adrenal insufficiency.
- List federal and state legal protections for children with diabetes. Identify core components of a diabetes medical management plan.
10:00 AM: Arrive and network interdisciplinary team
10:30 AM: Conference welcome
10:45: Keynote: Innovations in Type 1 Diabetes Care Coordination in Schools
11:15: Updates with Diabetes Technology
12:15: Lunch
1:00: Diet and nutrition for type 1 and 2 diabetes
1:30: Adrenal Insufficiency: What every school nurse needs to know
2:00: Break
2:15: American Diabetes Association Safe at School
2:45: Panel discussion
3:30: Conference wrap-up
Christine March, MD (pediatric endocrinologist)
Olivia Krolczyk, CDCES (diabetes care and education specialist)
Cara Reifschneider, RD (registered dietitian)
Selma Witchel, MD (pediatric endocrinologist)
Crystal Woodward, MPH (director of ADA safe at school)
Melanie Haynes, DNP, RN, CSN (School Nurse Navigator)
Leah Cervenak, CDCES (diabetes care and education specialist)
Joseph Stout, MSW, LSW (social worker)
In support of improving patient care, the University of Pittsburgh is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Nursing: The maximum number of hours awarded for this Continuing Nursing Education activity is 4.25 contact hours.
Available Credit
- 4.25 ANCCUPMC Provider Unit is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation
- 4.25 Attendance

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