General Nursing (RGN)
Monitoring of Blood Glucose Level
Measurement and documentation of capillary blood glucose using a glucometer to monitor the patient's blood glucose level.
Purpose
- Determine capillary blood glucose level.
- Monitor blood glucose trends.
- Identify abnormal glucose readings.
- Guide appropriate clinical management according to the patient's treatment plan.
Indications
- Patients with diabetes mellitus.
- Patients requiring blood glucose monitoring.
- Monitoring response to diabetes treatment.
- Patients at risk of abnormal blood glucose.
Equipment
- Glucometer
- Test strips
- Lancet/lancing device
- Alcohol swabs
- Cotton wool/dry swab
- Sharps container
- Gloves
- Blood glucose chart (Manual or electronic)
Procedure steps
- Explain procedure to patient.
- Perform hand hygiene and put on gloves.
- Check expiry date of test strips and ensure glucometer is calibrated/coded correctly.
- Select puncture site, usually side of fingertip.
- Clean site with alcohol swab and allow to dry.
- Insert test strip into glucometer.
- Prick site with lancet/lancing device.
- Wipe away first drop of blood with dry swab.
- Apply second drop of blood to test strip.
- Apply gentle pressure to puncture site with cotton wool.
- Wait for glucometer to display reading.
- Note blood glucose reading.
- Dispose of lancet in sharps container.
- Remove test strip and dispose appropriately.
- Remove gloves and perform hand hygiene.
- Record blood glucose reading with date and time.
- Report abnormal readings.
Precautions
- Check test-strip expiry before use.
- Follow the glucometer manufacturer's instructions.
- Use appropriate infection-prevention measures.
- Dispose of lancets immediately in a sharps container.
- Do not recap or reuse lancets.
- Report significantly abnormal readings promptly.
- Document the result accurately.
Educational resource only. Follow current Nursing and Midwifery Council guidance, local institutional protocols, scope of practice, and clinical supervision.
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