• RNAO

• Special Projects in Diabetes – DNIG

Registered Nurse (2015), Bachelor of Science in Nursing (2015), Certified Diabetes Educator (2019), Conestoga College: Diabetes Education (2020), Georgian College “Teaching and Training Adults” (2015), the Monarch System: Applied Motivational Interviewing & Coaching Tools (2019).

• Apply for DNIG Award

At Maitland Valley Family Health Team (MVFHT), I, Tanya Thompson, a Registered Nurse and Certified Diabetes Educator, commonly known as the diabetes nurse educator (DNE), identified a gap during routine diabetic appointments regarding patient insulin injection technique (IT) awareness. I developed a five-point checklist for clinicians to ask patients living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who are using a insulin pen about their IT practice.
The components of the five-point insulin IT education checklist include: needle length, site rotation, the needle being held in place for 10 seconds before removing it from skin, the use of new insulin pen needles each time, and the application of light pressure to the skin while injecting insulin. In addition, the checklist included an open box for clinicians to make freehand comments.
The aim of the 12-month study at MVFHT was to determine whether providing insulin IT education to insulin-dependent diabetic clients at MVFHT is associated with improved glycemic control, based on HbA1c results. Specifically, does the use of the developed five-point checklist on correct insulin IT by clinicians improve glycemic control in diabetic patients?
The study results show that the five-point insulin IT checklist provides an evidence-based approach to achieving improved glycemic control, as noted by a significant 1.79% reduction in HbA1c. This study emphasizes the need for continued utilization of the developed checklist, not only when starting insulin therapy but at regular follow-up intervals.
Factors such as time constraints and staff shortages understandably play a role in continued support for utilizing the five-point insulin IT checklist. Further options for ongoing utilization of the checklist may involve patient engagement tools. The checklist can be developed into an Ocean eForm, which can be uploaded on tablets and/or securely messaged to all insulin-dependent clients to complete before office appointments. The checklist results would be uploaded into the client EMR automatically and flag the clinician and DNE that further education on insulin IT is required.