DIABETIC NURSING

Diabetes mellitus introduction

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder that occurs when there is a less amount of secretion of insulin to metabolize the carbohydrate molecules. According to the amount of insulin insufficiency, it can be classified as hyperglycemia, glycosuria and ketonuria. Diabetes mellitus nursing is administered in the following ways.

• Assessment
• Diagnosis
• Nursing plan
• Implementation
• Evaluation

Diabetic assessment

Depending on the history of diabetic patients, nursing is administered. Initial assessment of diabetes is blood test. On fasting, a person’s blood glucose level should be more than 126 mg/l (at least for two consequent tests). For an oral glucose tolerance, the glucose level should be more than 200 mg/l for maximum of 2 hours i.e. 120 minutes. The other diabetic assessment tests are glycosylated hemoglobin assay test or glycohemoglobin assay test or glycosylated serum protein and albumin test. Most currently used diabetic self assessment is FSBS (Finger Stick Monitoring Blood Sugar test). Other assessment tests are urine test for ketone, glucose and renal function.

Diagnosis

Diabetic management is interrelated with five subcomponents that are mentioned as follows.

• Exercise
• Nutrition management
• Education
• Pharmacologic therapy
• Monitoring

Exercise controls the blood glucose level by decreasing the glucose quantity in blood. Hence it reduces quantity of insulin required. Diabetic can be controlled by diet therapy. It is demonstrated that a diabetic patient should have diet with 60% carbohydrate, 30% fats and 12-20% proteins. Administration of therapy like drug administration, drug selection and insulin therapy can reduce the client suffering. It is the role of nurse to guide the insulin dependent patient to store and use the insulin syringes. Interpretation of result helps the nurses to set goal.

Nursing plan

According to the assessment and diagnosis result, a nurse plans their caring administration. Nursing plan mainly address the nursing diagnosis. Only nurse should give drugs and medicines, which are recommended by doctor. It is responsibility of the nurse to check whether the patient is given correct medicine at correct time. Nurse should be ready to face emergency situations at any moment during treatment.

Implementation

Nurse is responsible for preventing side effects and complications of the drugs that are administered to the patients. They should teach and learn diet control and blood glucose level on continuous basis. It is easy to predict the disease complication when performed continuously.