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. 2010 Aug;33(8):1744-6.
doi: 10.2337/dc10-0031. Epub 2010 May 26.

Impact of an interactive online nursing educational module on insulin errors in hospitalized pediatric patients

Mary M Sullivan  1 , Colette R O'Brien, Stephen E Gitelman, Susan E Shapiro, Robert J Rushakoff
Affiliations

Impact of an interactive online nursing educational module on insulin errors in hospitalized pediatric patients

Mary M Sullivan et al. Diabetes Care. 2010 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of an online module for reducing insulin administration errors by nurses caring for hospitalized pediatric patients.

Research design and methods: Pediatric nursing staff completed a mandatory online educational module teaching insulin pharmacokinetics and the insulin order form, using diluted insulin and finishing with 15 interactive cases. A chart audit to determine all possible insulin errors of patients receiving insulin was done before and 2-6 months after the educational module.

Results: All of the medical center's 283 pediatric nurses successfully completed the educational module. A total of 24 charts were audited in the preintervention phase and 22 in the postintervention phase. The preintervention insulin error rate was 14.8%, reduced to 1.7% (P < 0.001) postintervention. Improvement occurred in correct insulin dosing and type, timing of administration, and timely blood glucose monitoring and documentation.

Conclusions: An interactive online educational module can be an effective strategy for reducing pediatric nurses' insulin administration errors.

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