Diab PD01 Provide advice and information on planning pregnancy to all women with diabetes of childbearing age

Overview

This standard covers helping women with diabetes who are of childbearing age understand how diabetes can affect pregnancy, and what they can do to minimise risks. Where women of childbearing age decide they wish to become pregnant, they should be encouraged and supported to agree a care plan to achieve optimum glycaemic control before conception. Users of this standard will need to ensure that practice reflects up to date information and policies. Version No 1

Knowledge and Understanding

You will need to know and understand:

1. national guidelines on diabetes management, education and service delivery in relation to diabetes and pregnancy
2. theories of causes of diabetes
3. signs and symptoms of diabetes, including WHO criteria for diagnosis
4. normal and abnormal blood glucose and HbA1c values
5. how to monitor glucose levels, HbA1c, lipids, blood pressure
6. the importance and effects of patient education and self management
7. the psychological impact of diabetes, at diagnosis and in the long term
8. how to gather information from patients about their health
9. how to work in partnership with patients and carers
10. the social, cultural and economic background of the patient/carer group
11. the impact of nutrition and physical activity on diabetes
12. the effects of smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs on diabetes management
13. the effects of, and how to manage, intercurrent illness
14. how to manage hypoglycaemia
15. the medications used to manage diabetes
16. the risks of a mother’s diabetes to the pregnant mother and to the child
17. how to manage diabetes before and during pregnancy 
18. the long term complications of diabetes and when they are likely to occur
19. relevant professional guidelines, standards and codes of professional conduct
20. your role in the healthcare team and the role of others
21. local guidelines on diabetes healthcare
22. the arrangements for supporting women with diabetes who are pregnant or who are planning pregnancy
23. local referral pathways
24. local systems for recording patient information
25. audit and quality assurance systems
26. sources of practitioner and patient information on diabetes and on pregnancy
27. contact details of local and national support groups

Performance Criteria

You must be able to do the following:

1. encourage all women with diabetes of childbearing age to learn about how diabetes can affect them during pregnancy
2. communicate with women about diabetes and pregnancy in a manner which encourages an open exchange of views and information
3. provide sufficient appropriate information in suitable forms on diabetes and pregnancy to enable women to make decisions about conception and pregnancy
4. provide information about the importance of good glycaemic control before conception, and the potential risks of diabetes for the mother and child
5. provide information about
   1. the importance of planning for pregnancy, and how women can manage their diabetes to minimise risks, prior to conception and when they are pregnant
   2. what needs to be done to achieve good glycaemic control
   3. effective methods of contraception to prevent unplanned pregnancies
6. provide information on the support available to women who are planning pregnancy and to women who are pregnant, and how it can be accessed, and encourage women to agree pre-conception care plans
7. where a woman wishes to plan for pregnancy, or wants support during pregnancy, arrange for them to discuss this with a qualified member of the healthcare team

Additional Information

This National Occupational Standard was developed by Skills for Health. This standard links with the following dimension within the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (October 2004): Dimension: HWB4 Enablement to address health and wellbeing needs