Ability to administer insulin
Q As a diabetes nurse working within an acute Trust, insulin administration when individuals with type 1 diabetes or with other types of diabetes requiring insulin treatment lack the cognitive or physical ability to self-administer their insulin, and who do not have a relative to administer the insulin for them, is an issue which we are coming up against frequently. Community nurses are reluctant to take on this role other than in the short-term. We are currently in discussions with district nursing leads to develop a training package for carers to give them the skills to administer insulin. We are also developing training for residential care home staff on diabetes, but this does not currently cover insulin administration.
Do any DSNs have a policy that allows carers to administer insulin, and what training was developed to enable the relevant skills to be taught and assessed? The issue of ongoing support for these staff and delivering training to district nurses on diabetes is also an area we are interested in. It would be helpful for us to know how other regions manage this.
Maggie McDonald, Diabetes Clinical Nurse Specialist
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