Patient education on self-administration of insulin via pen: An interprofessional team-based educational initiative

Diabetes self-management necessitates an interprofessional approach, whereby members of the healthcare team reinforce patient education to ensure confidence and effective care. While insulin is administered by needle and syringe in the inpatient setting, patients at our institution may be prescribed insulin for self-administration via pen device upon discharge, necessitating that nurses be confident in providing patient education on the proper use of such devices. To address this educational need, pharmacists at our institution worked collaboratively with nurses and nurse educators to develop a nursing education module intended to improve nursing confidence and knowledge of insulin self-administration via pen device. A multi-modal educational approach, encompassing a didactic in-service presentation coupled with a hands-on demonstration and optional simulation assessment were utilized, in accordance with findings from previous studies. Change in learner confidence, knowledge and performance were measured. This interactive education module was found to be effective at improving nursing staff knowledge of key aspects associated with proper use of insulin via pen. This module can be replicated on other units or by other institutions seeking to improve patient education on self-administration of insulin via pen.