help!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Just a quick question-

In general, is an MD order needed for a nurse to perform an accu check on a pt? Say a pt says they "feel low" (not diabetic or on Treatment or anything, maybe they haven't eaten...)can a nurse check it w/o an order as a nursing measure?

Thanks!

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Yes, you can do this. No order needed. To continue doing them on a regular basis (if this looks like a problem) clue the doc in, and get orders for whatever is appropriate.

For the person who just "feels" off, you can do the fingerstick on your own.

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It depends on the facility. Where I work, we have to have a physician's order for a non-diabetic patient. If the patient is diabetic, we are allowed a prn check of the patient's blood sugar. You should check your hospital's policy.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Oncology.

nu uh! not at my facility, if a patient is starting to get diaphoretic and such, it is good nursing judgment to check that sugar, one of the things the doc will ask me is if I checked the sugar.

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Specializes in Jack of all trades, and still learning.

Out of interest, what would be the rationale of a facility for not checking someones blood glucose level if you are concerned?

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