I am on a 2 week orientation at a 26 bed LTC facility. I have been assigned 4 different nurses to follow during this time. Each seems to have a different opinion about holding or adjusting insulin dosages per sliding scale as well as long acting insulin administration.
The concensis seems to be a preference to keep the patients at high levels to keep them "from bottoming out". These nurses know the residents well and a couple are diabetics themselves so I feel they know more and I am underconfidient in my judgement.
When a patient has a sliding scale to follow, shouldn't we follow it? If a patient has an order for long acting insulin at HS, shouldn't we give that dosage?
Is it a judgement call or do I follow the orders as written?
Where I work you cannot hold insulin without an MD order... period. If the patient is going to high or too low, it is the MD that has to make the judgement call as to what to do.
TammyHofschulte
1 Post
Where I work you cannot hold insulin without an MD order... period. If the patient is going to high or too low, it is the MD that has to make the judgement call as to what to do.