What is Diabetes and Insulin Administration?

Taking insulin helps you manage your blood sugar levels. Everybody with type 1 and some people with type 2 diabetes need to inject insulin to help manage their blood sugar levels. You take insulin by injecting it using an insulin pen, or by using an insulin pump.

What is the purpose of administering insulin?

Human insulin is used to control blood sugar in people who have type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not make insulin and therefore cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or in people who have type 2 diabetes (condition in which the blood sugar is too high because the body does not produce or use

What is insulin administration?

Conventional insulin administration involves subcutaneous injection with syringes marked in insulin units. There may be differences in the way units are indicated, depending on the size of the syringe and the manufacturer. Insulin syringes are manufactured with 0.3-, 0.5-, 1-, and 2-ml capacities.

What is diabetic training?

While you manage your patients' care, diabetes educators can empower them to manage their diabetes. They teach, coach and guide patients so they understand their diabetes and how it affects their personal lives, and work with them to set (and meet) behaviour change goals to improve their health.

Who is allowed to administer insulin?

Insulin delegation is the process by which a registered nurse allocates the task of insulin administration to a named, competent, non-registered practitioner, such as a healthcare assistant. Insulin delegation can help ensure insulin is administered safely and appropriately while making the best use of staff time.

Diabetes and the Administration of Insulin Training

(PLEASE NOTE: THIS TRAINING COURSE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROVIDERS OR THE NHS - THIS COURSE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUAL NURSES OR HEALTH CARE WORKERS)

This training course is delivered onsite / in-house to groups of health and social care workers. The course has been designed to up-skill health and social care workers to ease the pressure on the NHS especially District Nurses. Our diabetes and insulin training course is ideal for residential care providers, as well as home care providers, supporting individuals with diabetes in the community. We can provide the training and competencies to ensure that staff can safely administer insulin in the community without the need for a nurse.

Upon completion health and social care workers will be able to provide general diabetes daily care, administer subcutaneous insulin, as well as manage unexpected diabetic emergencies.

An Understanding of Diabetes and the Administration of Insulin Training Course - Content:

An Understanding of Diabetes training

The diabetes section of this training course will improve the knowledge and understanding of diabetes. This section of the training course will give clear information on the types of diabetes the daily care required for people with diabetes.

The types of diabetes
Diabetes risk factors
Nutrition and hydration
Diabetes management including diet changes, hypoglycemics medication and insulin
Foot care, eye care, and diabetes review

Providing Blood Glucose Monitoring training

The blood glucose section of this training course will enhance the knowledge, understanding and practical skill to provide blood glucose monitoring. On completion delegates will be able to safely conduct a wide range of blood glucose sampling.

The types of blood glucose monitoring
Normal ranges of blood glucose
The definition of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia
How to take a blood glucose measurement
What to do with the blood glucose result
Emergency treatment of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia

The Safe Administration of Subcutaneous Insulin by Pen or Pump training

The Safe Administration of Subcutaneous Insulin training course is aimed at all healthcare staff, but especially non-nurses who are supporting individuals requiring insulin to be administered in the community. By utilising health and social care staff we can ease the pressures on the NHS and District Nursing services whilst providing safe care and continuity. Our Safe Administration of Subcutaneous Insulin section is based upon the recommendations and guidance contained in the National Patient Safety Agency alert highlighting the most common errors in prescription and administration of insulin.

Types of insulin
Insulin delivery devices (pre-filled and cartridge insulin pens and insulin pumps)
Unit increments
The 6 Steps to Insulin Safety (Right Person. Right Insulin, Right Dose, Right Device, Right Way, Right Time
Safe administration of insulin
Site rotation
Lifted skin technique
Infection prevention and control
Insulin prescription / regime and diabetes passport
Correct storage
Correct use of needles

How to book your face-to-face or virtual classroom Diabetes and Insulin Administration training course:

(PLEASE NOTE: THIS TRAINING COURSE IS ONLY AVAILABLE TO HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE PROVIDERS OR THE NHS - THIS COURSE IS NOT AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUAL NURSES OR HEALTH CARE WORKERS)

If you are a health and social care provider wishing to discuss how we can help ensure your workforce are qualified to support individuals with diabetes and competent to administer subcutaneous insulin then please contact us.

Frequently asked questions:

Where do you deliver your training courses?

We deliver our onsite - in house training courses around the United Kingdom.

How do you deliver your training courses?

Our training courses utilise your premises to deliver the training in groups for up 12 delegates (depending upon the course). We also offer webinar / virtual classrooms subject when face-to-face training is not practicable.

Who can benefit from this training course?

This training course is suitable for anyone caring or supporting an individual with diabetes

Who would deliver the training course?

All of our clinical skills training courses are delivered by by of our expert Practice Development Nurse / Clinical Educators. All of our Nurse Tutors have an extensive background in clinical and complex care. All of our Nurse Tutors are current or previous Band 7 Senior Nurses.

How long would the training course last?

Our typical clinical skills training courses last approximately 3 to 6 hours.

What would the validity of our certificate be?

All delegates are issued with a certificate valid for 2 years. If competency assessments are chosen, these would last for a period not exceeding 1 year.