Diabetes first aid training
Would you know what to do in a diabetes emergency?
A person with diabetes can suddenly become confused, unconscious or unable to treat themselves. You might be the one standing next to them. This is how you learn what to do.
Practical first aid education created by Rhiannan Pitts, RN & CDE. General education, not clinical medical advice.
Free modules available now. The full course is coming soon. Want launch updates for the full course? Join the waitlist
In a diabetes emergency, do this
A quick glance is enough. Save this page or screenshot it.
- 1
Spot a low
Under 4.0 mmol/L, or shakiness, sweating, pale skin, confusion, slurred speech, or a continuous glucose monitor alarm.
- 2
Rule of 15
If conscious and swallowing, give 15g fast sugar now: 6 to 7 jelly beans, half a can of regular soft drink, a small 200ml juice popper, or 3 to 4 glucose tablets. Wait 15 minutes, then re-check.
- 3
When to call 000
If unconscious, having a seizure, or unable to swallow safely, call 000 immediately. Never force food or liquid. Roll them onto their side in the recovery position.
General education, not a substitute for the person's own diabetes management plan.
It isn’t diabetes management. It’s first aid.
Suddenly confused
A low can arrive in minutes. Speech slurs, thinking slows, and they may argue with you.
Unable to treat themselves
The person who normally handles all of this can become the one who cannot.
You're the person there
Not a nurse. Not an ambulance yet. Just you, deciding what to do next.
60 second check
Test your instincts
Read the situation, then reveal the options.
You're in a meeting when a colleague's phone sounds a low glucose alert: 3.6 mmol/L with a down arrow. They wave it off and say they feel fine.
Would you know what to do right now?
Show the optionsHide the options
What you learn
The moments that matter most
Tap any topic to see what it covers.
Hypoglycaemia
Spotting a low early, treating it safely with the Rule of 15, and knowing exactly what to do if someone cannot swallow.
Hyperglycaemia and ketones
Recognising a high, the warning signs that turn it into an emergency, and how to respond calmly.
Continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps
What the alarms actually mean, what to check, and what to do when the technology stops working.
When to escalate
Clear thresholds for calling 000, when urgent care is the right call, and what to tell them when you do.
Burnout and emotional first aid
Alongside the emergency basics: recognising diabetes distress, what to say, and how to help without taking over.
Who it’s for
For everyone standing beside someone with diabetes
Parents and families
School mornings, sleepovers, sport and the 3am checks.
Teachers and schools
Classrooms, excursions and the student nobody wants to get this wrong for.
Carers and support workers
Practical steps for the people doing the day to day work.
Disability support
Responding confidently when someone cannot tell you what they need.
Workplaces
Colleagues, first aid officers and managers who want a real plan.
Partners, friends and people who care
Nights out, travel, and simply being useful without hovering.
Families, partners and carers
Would the people beside you know what to do?
Whether you live with diabetes and want your partner, housemates, or family to feel confident, or you love someone with diabetes and want to know how to help in an emergency. Learn the real warning signs, the Rule of 15, and when to escalate, without confusing clinical jargon.
Created by Rhiannan Pitts, Registered Nurse and Credentialled Diabetes Educator.
Read her storyWhere to next
Free training
Short modules with real situations, scenario questions and printable steps. No account needed.
Start the free trainingThe full course
Deeper video training, demonstrations, printables and a certificate. Get the free guide and you'll hear first.
See what’s comingFree guide
Get the free Diabetes Distress & Burnout Guide
Enter your details and the guide opens straight away. We'll also send launch updates, new free resources and early access to the full course.
Someone you know should see this
The free training is genuinely free. Pass it to the grandparent, the coach, the teacher or the friend who might be the one standing there.
Questions, or a session for your group?
info@intimediabetes.comLocated in Australia, available online.