I am new to nursing homes and today one of the resident went out to lunch without my knowing to lunch with her son. No big deal, except I hadn't checked her blood sugar ( since I did not know she was going) before her leaving...thus no sliding scale insulin. She came back from lunch, I thought pointless to check her blood sugar then and let it go till it was checked at 4pm.What do you all think? She came back and seemed ok when I saw her go to her room.thanks.
truern 2,016 Posts Specializes in Telemetry & Obs. Jan 29, 2009 I am new to nursing homes and today one of the resident went out to lunch without my knowing to lunch with her son. No big deal, except I hadn't checked her blood sugar ( since I did not know she was going) before her leaving...thus no sliding scale insulin. She came back from lunch, I thought pointless to check her blood sugar then and let it go till it was checked at 4pm.What do you all think? She came back and seemed ok when I saw her go to her room.thanks.But how would you KNOW she was ok without checking her BG?? What was her BG at 4 pm??
donna61761 3 Posts Jan 29, 2009 Yeah, you're right. I went off duty shortly after she came back. I feel like I should have done more, and that's where all this comes from I suppose. I wished I would have known she was leaving to begin with. I looked for her when it was time to check her on my shift, but could not find her and was told she left the building while I was off my unit briefly.
Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN 1,776 Posts Specializes in Gerontology. Has 37 years experience. Jan 29, 2009 Would you normally check her sugar after lunch?Does she know to follow her diet - you can eat out and still follow your diabetic diet. Is this women known to cheat at any opportunity, or does she follow the rules?
donna61761 3 Posts Jan 29, 2009 she gets scheduled insulin, then is covered by sliding scale, before meals. That's why I didn't check it after her meal. It would seem uncertain then exactly how much sliding scale to give.....Am I right? To check her after her meal with a sliding scale doesn't make sense??????
ChristineN, BSN, RN 3,464 Posts Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg. Jan 29, 2009 If she was high (as she may have been) she would have "looked" ok. Normally patient's don't "look" bad as far as blood sugar issues unless they are low. However, I probably would have checked her as soon as you realized she was back, but I would not have given her any sliding scale insulin. Since she was not going to be eating right away (I'm assuming here), the insulin would drop her too quickly. I would wait and give her her sliding scale coverage prior to eating her dinner, as usual.
truern 2,016 Posts Specializes in Telemetry & Obs. Jan 29, 2009 Would you normally check her sugar after lunch?Does she know to follow her diet - you can eat out and still follow your diabetic diet. Is this women known to cheat at any opportunity, or does she follow the rules?Why, I'm offended....oh, this was about the patient, not me Sorry, just being silly after two days of chasing BGs all over the place. Yesterday I had a bowl of Total cereal and 2 small slices of cheddar cheese and my BG was 274 Today I haven't put a carb in my mouth!!
