(P605) Implementing a Staff Diabetes Champion Academy to Improve Care for Hospitalized Patients

Nurses empowered by knowledge and confidence can enhance collaboration with the care team to improve management of inpatients with diabetes. The consensus amongst staff is that nurses lack expertise in the management of diabetes in three community hospitals in Maryland & DC. Recently, the number of patients with diabetes seen at these hospitals has grown significantly. This poster showcases the design and implementation of a ‘Diabetes Champion Academy’ to empower nurses with the knowledge and confidence to become active participants as a resource for staff regarding diabetes care. The poster authors will share recent research published by their collaborating colleagues that demonstrated reduction in length of stay (LOS) and 30-day readmission (30DR) when patients are co-managed by a specialized diabetes team, which included nurses trained using the Johns Hopkins Diabetes Champion Program.