Question

A nurse is preparing to administer insulin to a client with diabetes mellitus type 1. The client has regular insulin and insulin glargine prescribed. How will the nurse prepare these medications?

Draw up the glargine insulin before the regular insulin

Mix the insulins in a larger syringe

Use a separate syringe for each insulin

Draw up the regular insulin before the glargine insulin

Answer 1

The correct method for a nurse to administer regular insulin and insulin glargine to a client with type 1 diabetes mellitus is to use a separate syringe for each insulin, as insulin glargine should not be mixed with any other insulin.

Step-by-step explanation:

When administering insulin to a client with type 1 diabetes mellitus, it is crucial to recognize that not all insulins can be mixed in the same syringe. Specifically, regular insulin and insulin glargine serve different purposes and have different onset times. Regular insulin is a short-acting insulin, while insulin glargine is a long-acting insulin. Due to differences in their formulations, insulin glargine should not be mixed with any other insulins and should be drawn up in a separate syringe. Consequently, the correct procedure is to use a separate syringe for each insulin when administering these medications to the client. It is important for nurses to follow these guidelines to ensure the effectiveness of the insulin therapy and to avoid compromising the action of the long-acting insulin glargine.