Policy Manual sample

MDT Home Health Care Agency, Inc. INSULIN ADMINISTRATION PURPOSE: To assure proper administration of subcutaneous and intramuscular insulin. POLICY: 1. Syringe Use All insulin shall be drawn up with an insulin syringe. 2. Nurse Verification Before to administration our licensed personnel shall verify the following prior to administration: the physician’s order, type of insulin, dosage, route, time, content, and expiration date. 3. Different types of insulin are (See Appendix A): Rapid Acting (Humalog, Novolog, and Apidra) Short Acting (Regular) Intermediate Acting (NPH) Long Acting (Lantus, Levemir) Premixed Insulins 4. Labeling Insulin may be kept refrigerated or stored at room temperature. The dispenser pharmacy shall label the insulin bottle with an expiration date prior to delivering it to the patient. The nurse shall verify that the insulin bottle has a label with an expiration date and that the insulin is not expired before using the vial. If the insulin bottle does not have the pharmacy label it, or no expiration date, shall be no used. The nurse shall label the insulin bottle after open it, with Open and Expiration date no more than 30 days after the bottle was open it. 5. Discarding The nurse shall dispose of opened insulin bottles after the expiration date on the pharmacy label. The nurse shall dispose unopened insulin bottles with a note marking it expired when it is past the expiration date labeled on the bottle. Also the nurse must discard the insulin if not clearly the expiration date in the label. 6. Routes of Administration A. Subcutaneous Insulin Injections 1. Sites for subcutaneous injections of routine insulin are shown in the diagram below. 2. Recent research indicates that insulin injections into the abdomen give the most consistent absorption rate, and the abdomen is the site of choice if the person is going to be exercising the extremity. 3. Vigorous exercise of the extremity leads to increased blood flow through the site, Which results in more rapid absorption and shorter duration of action of the insulin. NOTE: Routine subcutaneous insulin injections should not be given into the deltoid area because in the average sized to thin person this would result in an intramuscular injection. B. Intramuscular Injections Home Health Agency Nursing Care & Procedures K-170