Endocrine Disorders and Diabetes

What this unit covers

Most of the page is about diabetes, with a good run of other endocrine conditions alongside it. The mind maps cover Diabetes Type 1, Diabetes Type 2, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Hypoglycaemia, Diabetic Foot Ulcers and Diabetes Chronic Complications. Others turn to Addison's disease, Cushing's Syndrome, Hashimoto's Disease, acromegaly, hypoparathyroidism and goitre. A flowchart looks at disorders of the posterior pituitary gland.

Where to start

If diabetes is new to you, begin with the Diabetes Mellitus flashcard deck. It asks what diabetes is, how type 1 and type 2 differ, which symptoms to expect and which tests confirm it. Then open a mind map such as Diabetes Type 1_1, which lists nursing interventions and teaching points, including daily foot checks.

1. Read a mind map on one condition.
2. Run through the matching flashcards.
3. Take a quiz to test what stuck.

Using quizzes and maps together

Quizzes here are mostly scenario based. The Diabetes quiz asks how a nurse should begin teaching a newly diagnosed patient before discharge. Critical Care Questions Chapter 46 asks what a positive urine ketone result suggests. After each quiz, go back to the map for any topic you missed, such as the Diabetic Ketoacidosis maps, and read that branch again.

For the wider endocrine picture, try the Addison crisis quiz, which asks who is most at risk of Addisonian crisis. The SIADH vs Diabetes insipidus quiz starts with a patient who has gained weight from water retention. Critical Care Questions Chapter 45 covers positioning after a thyroidectomy.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Medical-Surgical Nursing strand of the Nursing subject. Some listed items mention NCLEX, so professional candidates can use the scenario questions as practice. Teachers can pick out a quiz or deck to share with a class.

Choose one condition, open its map and see how much you can recall before you check the answers.