Virtual Nursing Care for School Children with Diabetes

Abstract

Access to safe health care when a nurse is not present is a public protection issue facing many boards of nursing. This is especially true in schools where a nurse is not present to provide care for children with diabetes. This study examined the safety and effectiveness of a model of care that linked trained unlicensed school personnel to registered nurses (RNs) via telehealth technology to delegate and supervise diabetes care tasks, including insulin administration. The study took place from December 2010 to May 2013, and 5,568 doses of insulin were administered safely by unlicensed personnel. Surveys taken before and after implementation measured the perceptions of parents and school personnel regarding the safety and efficacy of the model of care. Statistical results showed large degrees of effectiveness. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting regulatory changes for the delegation of insulin administration and other diabetes care tasks by RNs. Access to safe health care when a nurse is not present is a public protection issue facing many boards of nursing. This is especially true in schools where a nurse is not present to provide care for children with diabetes. This study examined the safety and effectiveness of a model of care that linked trained unlicensed school personnel to registered nurses (RNs) via telehealth technology to delegate and supervise diabetes care tasks, including insulin administration. The study took place from December 2010 to May 2013, and 5,568 doses of insulin were administered safely by unlicensed personnel. Surveys taken before and after implementation measured the perceptions of parents and school personnel regarding the safety and efficacy of the model of care. Statistical results showed large degrees of effectiveness. This study provides preliminary evidence supporting regulatory changes for the delegation of insulin administration and other diabetes care tasks by RNs. A video demonstration of a virtual RN consultation is available on the South Dakota Board of Nursing’s website http://www.nursing.sd.gov. This article was funded through grants from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s Center for Research Excellence and the South Dakota Department of Health.