nurse's aides doing accuchecks

BabyNurseBSN2006 · Oct 7, 2004

Hey, here in Southeast Pa(Philly) pca's and na's are not allowed to do glucose in my institution. Nursing students and nurse externs are allowed to though. . .

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Oct 7, 2004

Our techs in the ER do them after training. No problems as long as proper training is done. Lay people do them all the time on themselves at home, I don't know why trained personel in the hospital can't do so.

mrdoc2005 · Oct 7, 2004

Only the techs that had been there for 3+ years are allowed to do them after training. I am a diabetic and have done mine since I was 6 or 7 with no real help so I do not see why a trained adult could not.

Harmony213 · Oct 7, 2004

I work in a hospital in IL and techs do them as soon as they start working. I don't see what problem is, since people do them themselves at home. There really isn't much to accuchecks.

sandypinktruck · Oct 7, 2004

At the hospital I work at in VA, the nurses aides do accuchecks, and report the readings to the nurses.

My kids fight over whose turn it is to "stick me" - Even my 6 yr old can perform an accucheck - My kids help keep me compliant. One day while eating a snack, my 8yr old asked me if I was being 'naughty" or if it was okay to eat the snack!

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Oct 7, 2004

At our hospital, our PCA's (patient care assistants aka nurse aides) do the accuchecks and verbally report the findings to the nurse. There has been no problem at all with this procedure. Yes, of course, they are trained first in how to use the machine. In our facility, it is part of the PCA's routine along with vital signs.

Larry77, RN · Oct 7, 2004

I'm in WA state...in the hospital I work in, the CNA's do the bedside blood sugers. But, technically by law, they shouldn't because it is an invasive procedure. The only way the hospital gets away with it is by calling it a delegated procedure. If you ask me it's no big deal...nothing a fifteen minute inservice can't handle.

stephera · Oct 7, 2004

I am in Texas and we(cna's) are not allowed to do glucose checks.

I am wondering what everyone else is doing in their ltc facility. We used to educate our cna's and supervise them doing accuchecks. Recently however, this has become an issue at our facility with the staff. What is correct? Where do I find an answer? I am from Pa. What are the rest of you doing?
thank you, Tracy

PHTLS · Oct 7, 2004

Only licensed staff should do them. Why? How would you like to draw up 10 units of regular Insulin and watch your resident go into a coma afterwards because some tech or aide didn't properly draw sufficient blood for the Accucheck machine to read?

You better get that juice or IM Glucagon ready.

stephera · Oct 7, 2004

I don't see nothing wrong with CNA's checking blood sugar but do with giving insulin.:)

Only licensed staff should do them. Why? How would you like to draw up 10 units of regular Insulin and watch your resident go into a coma afterwards because some tech or aide didn't properly draw sufficient blood for the Accucheck machine to read?
You better get that juice or IM Glucagon ready.

obeyacts2 · Oct 7, 2004

Only licensed staff should do them. Why? How would you like to draw up 10 units of regular Insulin and watch your resident go into a coma afterwards because some tech or aide didn't properly draw sufficient blood for the Accucheck machine to read?
You better get that juice or IM Glucagon ready.

Around here, I work as an aide and i do accuchecks all the time. Come on , they teach children to do their own diabetes care!!!!! The only problem I see is if some lazy aide made up the numbers like some do for vitals. But, around here each pt has their own meter with memory, so that might help.

Laura