Did I do the right thing?

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Did I do the right thing, I asked an agency band 5 community nurse to complete a datix, due to she did not administer an insulin injection. No referral to late call or discussion with a Gp/diabetic nurse specialist. Due to his blood sugars was 3.8mmols. The agency nurse declined and said she used her clinical judgement, in completing the datix. I did not wish for the nurse to get in trouble, just to report her rational, for with holding afternoon insulin

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to a thread on it's own in the UK forum

Is there any protocols in place for this patient on high or low blood sugars? Did she do anything else with the sugar like give a drink orange juice, something to eat etc and recheck the blood sugar?

I probably would have done the same as her however I would have a) tried to raise the blood sugar and b) document my rationale to not giving the insulin

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Specializes in Orthopaedics, ITU and Critical Care Outr.

I guess it depends on the prescription, your local policies, and what type of insulin it was - long or short-acting. You can complete the Datix yourself with the information you have been given by her.

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Specializes in ER.

Datix is not the issue here, and certainly I am pretty sure that agency nurses do not fill them in, there is usually a staff ID / trust email address required in the form.

What is the protocol for witholding insulin?

What action did she take to stabilise the sugar?

What was the insulin? Fast or slow acting?

Did anyone go back to check the sugar again?

Did anyone inform the GP?

Is this a one-off low reading, or is it a pattern for this patient?

How is a no-give recorded, and will the next nurse be able to see it charted?

Rather than trying to blame a competent agency nurse for using clinical judgement rather than blindly following a prescription, I think you need to address these issues and educational deficits in your team, and be thankful that your nurse had the sense to avoid a hypo.

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Specializes in ER.

Any response yet from the OP?

Any views on why she wanted to complete a Datix when the agency nurse used sound clinical judgement?

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