Having the demotion, and all its specifics, in writing can keep things clear and make certain you and your supervisor are on the same page about what is now expected of you. You might not need any of this information, but you never know, and it's better to have everything documented than to realize too late that it could have helped you. Just to be on the safe side, keep the documentation on a home computer or flash drive, not on your work computer. You might, for example, decide to deal with the decision if it comes from company reorganization or is warranted based on your performance. Although a demotion can seem on the surface like nothing but a negative, there are times when it presents a positive move forward for you and your career, such as: A chance to work with new people on new projects. The chance to grow by developing new skill sets. Less responsibilities, therefore less stress. The possibility of having more time to spend with family. Freedom from difficult co-workers or a toxic environment. Many organizations have an internal mechanism in place for appealing decisions such as firings and demotions. If your company has such an option in place, there are times when this might be the right path for you to consider, such as: You truly believe that the demotion is unjust due to misinformation. You have evidence that the demotion is directly due to discrimination of some sort from the supervisor demoting you. You want the chance to challenge the decision and plead your case. If internal appeals don't work or you simply don't trust the internal process, you can consider the more drastic approach. Although this option can create a hostile situation between you and your employer, depending on the situation and the company you work for, you may need the support of a mediator or an employment lawyer to help you in your search for resolution.Times when this might be necessary can include: Your company lacks any avenue to address worker grievances. A badly handled appeal process resulted in a rejection of your claim. You feel you cannot get a fair hearing due to internal prejudice.

Summary: Get it in writing. Document everything related to the demotion. Consider accepting the decision if the rationale makes sense. Appeal the decision internally if you can show it is unjust. Seek outside intervention if you have no other recourse.

Fry typically hatch within 30 hours of spawning, often within the first 24 hours for some species. If they were laid in bubble nests, the fry usually stay attached to their place of hatching for two or three days, as they consume the yolk of their egg sac. After eating the yolk from their own eggs, the fry will become free swimming, moving around the tank, and will need to be fed according to the instructions below. The newly hatched fry are too small to eat most types of food. Suitable foods, which may be available at an aquarium store, include liquid fish food, rotifers, infusoria, or hard boiled egg yolk pushed through cheesecloth. Try to feed them as often as you can manage, six times a day or more. Infusoria can be grown at home by keeping a small piece of lettuce or potato in a jar of water in a sunny area. After a few days, the water should turn cloudy, then clear, and can then be fed to the fry in small amounts. Dwarf gourami, honey gourami, and other species whose adults are less than 5 inches (13 cm) in length produce fry that are too small to eat larger food for seven or eight days after hatching. Larger species may be able to eat baby brine shrimp after about four days. Once the fry have reached this stage, feed them baby brine shrimp to give them the protein needed for growth. Continue to conduct partial water changes as you would in a normal tank, and siphon off material collecting on the bottom of the tank. Because the fry are easily sucked into the siphon, give the bucket of removed water some time to settle so you can find and transfer any fry back into the tank. Gourami typically produce hundreds or thousands of eggs, and while it's unlikely that all of them will survive, you will often end up with more fry than can fit in your tank. Find someone who will buy your fry, decide how many you will keep, and consider euthanizing fish with obvious physical defects. Remaining fry can be fed on an ordinary diet once they have reached several weeks of age, although a diet that includes a variety of animal and vegetable proteins is better for growth than fish flakes alone.

Summary: Let the fry eat the egg yolk after hatching. Feed the fry specialized food. Use baby brine shrimp once the fry are larger. Keep the water clean. Make a plan for your fry before they grow too large. Move the gourami to a larger tank after a few weeks.

There are several resources available to help you prepare for both certification exams. The NCBDE certification exam handbook has an appendix with an extensive list of resources. The AADE handbook also offers a list of useful resources in its appendix. Appendix 3 in the NCBDE handbook offers a content outline. The content outline describes broadly what the diabetes education test will cover. Examine this content outline closely. Seek assistance from a mentor or consult diabetes education literature to answer questions you might have about the material. Appendix 5 in the NCBDE handbook offers a list of suggested references. Look over these references, taking notes as necessary, to sharpen your knowledge of specific content areas. Focus on areas that you are less familiar with in order to remedy any gaps in your understanding. For a $55 fee, you can take a practice NCBDE examination through Psi/Amp. A practice AADE test is available online for $95. A test tutorial to help you familiarize yourself with the computerized testing system is also available online. Visit the test center at the time and date you selected. Arrive early so that you have plenty of time to find a seat and settle in. The NCBDE test consists of 200 multiple-choice questions. You'll have four hours to complete the exam. The AADE test consists of 175 multiple-choice questions administered over three-and-a-half hours. Bring at least two types of valid, government-issued photo ID. You might bring a passport, driver's license, military identification card, or state identification card with photo. You should also bring a printout confirming your test site, date, and other relevant information. Do not bring your phone, hat, electronics, or other personal items into the test center with you. The AADE exam results are mailed six to eight weeks after taking the exam. NCBDE scores are reported in two ways: raw scores and scaled scores. The NCBDE exam's raw scores will give you your score as a percentage of the total number of questions you got correct out of 200. For instance, you might get a raw score of 150/200. Scaled scores are reported as a percentage of correct questions on a scale of 0 to 99. You must score at least a 70 on this scale in order to pass the exam. Using the above example 150/200 you would earn a 75, giving you a passing grade. You must recertify your NCBDE and/or AADE credentials every five years. Recertification for the NCBDE requires that you accrue at least another 1,000 hours of DSME and that you hold the same position in the same medical field that you held when you obtained certification originally. If you cannot meet the 1,000-hour practice requirement but wish to maintain your certification, you can substitute the practice requirement for 75 clock hours of continuing education. When your certification is close to expiration, the NCBDE, and/or AADE will send you a reminder notification along with directions outlining how to renew your certification. Renewal costs $250 for NCBDE certification and $500 for the AADE certification (or $800 if you are not an AADE member). With your new credentials, you'll have a legitimate claim to expertise in the field of DSME. With your certification, you should be eligible for a pay raise. Broach the subject discretely with your employer. You might ask, for instance, what kind of financial benefits you're eligible for as a certified diabetes educator. Many medical professionals find that they are more confident, respected, and financially secure as a result of earning their certification.
Summary: Prepare for the test. Take the test. Review your scores. Renew your certification. Use your certification.