A nurse is caring for a client who has a prescription for NPH insulin 10 units and regular insulin 15 units subcutaneously. After injecting 10 units of air into the NPH insulin vial, which of the following actions should the nurse take next?
Explanation & Rationale
A. Injecting 15 units of air into the regular insulin vial is correct. When drawing up two types of insulin, the nurse should first inject air into the NPH (cloudy) insulin vial without withdrawing the medication. Then, the nurse should inject air into the regular (clear) insulin vial before withdrawing the regular insulin. This prevents contamination and maintains proper insulin mixing procedures. B. Placing the cap over the needle is incorrect. Once insulin preparation has started, recapping the needle is unnecessary and increases the risk of contamination or needlestick injury. C. Verifying the dosage with another nurse is incorrect at this stage. Dosage verification should be done after the correct amounts of insulin are drawn into the syringe, not before. D. Withdrawing 10 units of NPH insulin is incorrect. The nurse should first withdraw the regular (clear) insulin before drawing up the NPH (cloudy) insulin to avoid contaminating the regular insulin with the longer-acting insulin.