Marja Rautavirta

Marja Rautavirta – a Diabetic Specialist Nurse from Finland. She started working as a nurse in the clinic of internal diseases at central hospital in Pori area in 1982. Recently diagnosed diabetics and those who have developed complications relating to the disease are cared for there. She specialized in caring and education of diabetes furthermore completing her thesis about the clinical beginning of care and education for new diabetics, which was a new practice of care at the time.

In 1996, she started as a Diabetic Specialist Nurse at the hospital’s clinic, where she still works currently. Alongside her daily job at the clinic, she has completed her management skills training, studies of a weight control expert, attended multiple trainings of diabetic-education and has worked as an instructor for students and nurses.

In organizational level, she has been a member of the board for both the Diabetic Specialist Nurse organization and Finnish diabetic union. She has done studies of education and has been working as a Research Assistant Nurse in multiple medicine researches. She was chosen to be the first Diabetic Specialist Nurse of the year in Finland in 2008. Currently she is involved in an advisory board of a Finnish care- planning group Duodecim as an expert of diabetic caring and she has also been involved in compiling care- plans for diabetics suffering from insulin deficiency and in planning of diet-recommendations for diabetics.

To maintain her level of professionalism, she regularly participates in both domestic and international trainings and conferences. The everyday work with diabetics and especially the educating of type 1 diabetics is close to her heart.