So, the other day just as I was coming on shift one of the night turn nurses who is both an RN (as am I) and who has been a nurse longer than I've been alive was dealing with a low blood sugar on a patient. I went to the room to help her as the patient was to be mine when she left. She gave him OJ with sugar packets added but before she could get it into him he became unresponsive with a blood glucose of 24. Another RN who is in mgmt. at the facility was also involved. I was the runner person, first getting them the OJ, then glucose gel, then the mgmt. RN decided to start an IV to give an amp of D50, so I ran to get all of that stuff. His glucose came up, he was fine, but the DON was upset because no one called the MD until after the fact. (I had just walked into the situation and deferred to the two much more experienced RNs who were telling me what to get them). She said that if a person becomes hypoglycemic and unresponsive, we are not to do anything without calling the MD. If the MD doesn't answer we are to call the paramedics, but we shouldn't give glucagon or D50 without an MD order. The facility protocol says to give OJ or call the MD if the patient is unresponsive. The night turn RN says that her license would be in jeopardy if she didn't do anything and the patient died before the MD called back or the paramedics got there. I don't know what the laws are on this topic. Any ideas?