Do you mix your insulins?

Nurses General Nursing

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It may seem like a silly question but I've been a nurse now for 1 whole week and I really would like to know what others are doing. At school we were taught how to mix insulins but after that a discussion went on about the risk of errors and how some nurses are going back to doing 2 shots in order to avoid that. Also, there was mentioned that some facilities policies are starting to require that nurses not mix insulins anymore. I don't know of any of these facilities but I wonder if they are out there. When I told my nurse orientator that I didn't want to mix the insulins, that I would rather give 2 shots, she said she had never heard of that. Is there anyone else out there not mixing? Should I just suck it up and mix them? Is there any evidence out there to support not mixing insulins? Aaah! Someone please help the new nurse! LOL! I'm just terrified that in my inexperience that I might make an insulin error.

Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

Thank you, purplemania. I had not heard of those drugs. I will definitely read up on them. I'm also rereading about insulins. I don't want to harm anyone!

Be careful. Read up on your drugs. The only thing that mixes with NPH is Regular. The rapid acting drugs (Apidra, Novalog and Humalog) can mix with NPH if injected immediately, but only on the advice of MD (per drug insert). Lantus & Levimir do not mix with anything.

You did not ask but I will tell you also to be aware there are two non-insulin injectables currently on the market, with more to follow. They are NOT INSULIN and do not mix with insulin and do not substitute for insulin (Byetta and Symlin). Byetta comes pre-mixed in a pen, so hard to mess that up. Symlin comes in a vial like insulin and is dosed in MICROGRAMS, not units, but you administer in a insulin syringe. A 15 mcg. dose of Symlin, if actually dosed as 15 units, would come to 90 mcg. !!!!! There is a conversion chart online at www.symlin.com.

As a diabetic instructor, nurse and diabetic myself, I am glad to read you are being cautious about drug administration.

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