Administration of Insulin by Nursing Staff – A Summary
When:
Patient unable to self administer their injections.
Procedure:
-Ensure the patient’s insulin is available in vials or prefilled pen device
-Check the name of the insulin and dose against the patient’s insulin prescription chart
-Check insulin correctly stored and its expiry date
-Wash hands, put on gloves
-Check patient’s blood glucose level and record the result
-Prepare the insulin syringe or pen device
-Select the injection site
- Raise the skin and insert the needle
-Depress the insulin syringe or pen device and hold in place for a count of 10
-Remove the needle and insulin syringe or device and dispose safely
-Record the dose, timing and site of injection on the chart and initial
-If the patient is administered pre-meal analogue insulin i.e. rapid acting, the patient should eat immediately after insulin administration
Remember:
The insulin syringe or pen device must not be prepared and stored in advance of the procedure Do not draw insulin from a pen cartridge using a needle or insulin syringe Report to a supervisor any bleeding from the injection site, pain following administration or if insulin appears at the site of injection Report any hypo- or hyperglycaemia on BG testing to the patient’s diabetes team