Diabetes education of faculty in selected New Jersey elementary schools as perceived by parents, school nurses and administrators

One in every 529 children in our country has diabetes. Today, a teacher has a 1 in 20 chance of having a student with diabetes in the classroom. School personnel knowledgeable about diabetes are an essential element in the child's functioning academically and socially in school. Ongoing support from family, peers, and significant others in the child's environment is a positive force to help this child progress through the normal developmental stages.;The purpose of this study was to investigate whether parents and school administration in the sample perceive New Jersey elementary school faculty are being effectively educated regarding the consequences of low blood sugar on the diabetic child's ability to learn, how to deal with acute diabetic emergencies and whether there is a need for change in this educational process.;The tools were evaluated for validity and reliability by an expert panel and pilot study. The questionnaires were distributed to 300 school administrators and 300 families with a diabetic child in elementary school. The returns were 61% and 39% respectively.;The results of the study indicate faculty are not educated regarding the consequences of low blood sugars on the diabetic child's ability to learn; both parents and school administrators do perceive an adequate response to acute diabetic emergencies, although the parents perceive the school nurse as the individual responding to this emergency, not teachers. School administration does not perceive a need to change the educational process at this time, although 54% expressed a need for more nursing services, allowing for better supervision of children with chronic illness. Parents verbalized a need for mandatory inservicing of faculty. Twenty nine percent of the parents did not express confidence in the teacher's knowledge level.;Children with diabetes are entitled to a safe environment both in school and at home. The results of this research indicate the need for continued nursing services in the school system, educating the faculty about acute diabetic emergencies and learning disabilities associated with diabetes. Pursuing this education of faculty will help to relieve the fears of the parents and the anxiety of the school age child with diabetes.