Diabetes Aide Requirements

RN Delegation & Supervision of Diabetes Aide Required

An RN may delegate diabetes tasks to a qualified and trained Diabetes Aide only when a licensed nurse is not available. Tasks the RN may delegate include: 

• Helping a person with an insulin pump or with an insulin pen device;

• Administering subcutaneous (SQ) insulin from a vial and syringe or with an insulin pen device;  and

• Assisting a person with counting carbohydrates.

Diabetes Aides employed in Assisted Living Centers are required to be registered as a Medication Aide

RN Requirements to Delegate Diabetes Tasks

• Hold a South Dakota RN license or privilege to practice in this state, have two years of clinical nursing experience, and hold current specialty certification as a Certified Diabetes Care Education Specialist (CDCES).

• RNs who do not hold CDCES certification must have written evidence of demonstrated competence in the area of diabetes management within the past five years or complete the Board's free RN Train-the-Trainer course.

RN Supervision Requirements

• Have on file a written protocol to meet the requirements listed in ARSD 20:48:04.01:16(4),(5); 

• For a new Diabetes Aide, the RN must meet in-person with the Diabetes Aide during a client’s mealtime (or at time of insulin administration) and at least two times per week in the first four weeks to consult with the Diabetes Aide and to evaluate competence.

• For all Diabetes Aides the delegating RN must be available by electronic communication at all meal times or at times of insulin administration. The RN must also evaluate the Diabetes Aide's competence annually and may use the Board's Diabetes Aide Competency Checklist.

• Nurses should also review the General Delegation Criteria, Supervision requirements, and the Delegation Decision Making Algorithm to guide whether a specific nursing task may be safely delegated.

Diabetes Aide Requirements

1. Complete ten hours of diabetes aide training that is taught by an RN instructor. The ten hours must consist of five hours of online instruction on diabetes content and five hours of clinical/lab instruction that includes an evaluation of ability to safely perform the diabetes tasks. The RN instructor may use the Diabetes Aide Competency Checklist to complete the evaluation.

   • Complete the five hours of online diabetes content by enrolling in the Board's free online Diabetes Aide Course.

2. Pass a final exam, administered by the RN instructor.

   • The RN instructor may contact the Board to request access to questions for use in developing the final exam.

3. Maintain documentation of diabetes aide training according to facility policy.