Published: 12 May, 2026 Every day, nurses make a powerful difference for the more than 1.5 million Australians living with diabetes. Diabetes care is complex and lifelong. Across every setting, your expertise improves outcomes and quality of life for people with diabetes. This International Nurses Day 2026, we recognise the depth and breadth of roles you play in diabetes care and encourage you to continue expanding your skills and impact. Nurses as educators and advocates One of the most visible roles you play in diabetes care is in education, empowering people to live well with diabetes. Nurses provide information and support to help people understand their condition, minimise their risk of diabetes-related complications, and build the confidence to self-manage their diabetes. Nurses also often act as advocates, ensuring people with diabetes can access the services, technologies, and support they need. The National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) has a range of resources to support this vital work. Nurses in clinical care and coordination Nurses are often the first and most consistent point of contact for people living with diabetes. Your clinical judgement makes a difference to the outcomes in many aspects of care, including: Prevention, screening and diagnosis Medication monitoring Responding to hypo- and hyperglycaemia Disability and diabetes Often, you coordinate care by connecting people with diabetes care teams, including credentialled diabetes educators, dietitians, allied health professionals, and community providers. By helping people navigate the health system, you empower them to feel more in control of their condition. Nurses as leaders and innovators Beyond direct care, many nurses lead improvements in diabetes services based on their knowledge and first-hand experience supporting people with diabetes. Specialist and expert nurses may: mentor others in building their skills and confidence help shape policy related to diabetes prevention and care design education programs that strengthen the workforce. Professional development through the National Diabetes Nursing Education Framework First developed in 2020 by an Expert Reference Group and informed by national and international best practice, the National Diabetes Nursing Education Framework is a flexible tool to support your career development in diabetes care. It guides you through developing and demonstrating your level of competence at each nursing level of practice. The Framework outlines four levels of practice and the competencies, knowledge, and skills required at each level: Foundation Proficient Specialist Expert The Framework is more than a guide to developing the skills to provide a high standard of diabetes care across all practice settings. It promotes lifelong learning and improved health outcomes for people living with diabetes. For example, you may be a registered nurse in a hospital where you care for people with diabetes and now you want to become a credentialled diabetes educator. You can use the Framework to assess your current skills and identify any further education you need to pursue this career path. Coming soon: A new e-learning course designed to support the National Diabetes Nursing Education Framework. This course will provide practical guidance to help nurses apply the Framework to their everyday practice. Honouring nurses and empowering the future of diabetes care This International Nurses Day, we thank all the nurses caring for people with diabetes for your expertise, compassion and leadership. To strengthen your impact and support your ongoing professional development, we encourage you to explore the NDSS resources, including the National Diabetes Nursing Education Framework.
