Trotter, B., Conaway, M. R., & Burns, S. M. (2013). Relationship of glucose values to sliding scale insulin (correctional insulin) dose delivery and meal time in acute care patients with diabetes mellitus. Medsurg Nursing, 22(2), 99.
Introduction
This research critique demonstrates the aspects of protection of human subjects in the study of the relationship between glucose and insulin.
Thesis statement
The critique looks at the ethical concerns and how researchers adhere to these aspects in their studies. It is essential for researchers to adhere to ethical practices such as protection of human subjects in their studies. Lack of protection of human subjects results to negative social and psychological effects. Lack of the ethical aspects in research studies could lead to legal liability or lack of credibility in the study conducted.
Summary outline
Management of blood sugar among many diabetes patients has proved to be a difficult task. Sliding scale insulin is the common method used among many patients in acute settings. This approach intends to maintain blood sugar at a low level not exceeding 180 mg. According to Trotter, Conaway & Burns (2013), finger stick glucose administered in less than half an hour before a meal is likely to give variations in the blood sugar. This also contributes to variations in the sliding scale insulin for patients. The research demonstrates the variations in blood sugar based on the time before the meal by patients and sliding scale insulin administration.
The research critique focuses on the protection of human participants by identifying the risks and benefits, whether the consent of the study was obtained from participants, voluntary participation and approval from the institution, data collection methods, rationale and period for the study. Data management and analysis and minimization of research bias are addressed in this research critique. The findings and interpretations of the findings are also outlined in the critique.
Protection of human participants
Protection of human participants in research work involving human subjects is essential as it helps in building trust and willingness to participate in the research. The author demonstrated that the study was beneficial to help in understanding the relationship between blood glucose and sliding scale insulin. The risks of participating in the study were outlined by the researcher before the participants made a decision to participate in the study. The consent of all the participants in the study was obtained before they were involved in the study. Voluntary participation was highly encouraged from the participants. The participants also had the chance to exit from participating in the research at any time they felt like doing so. The author sought the permission and approval from the institution that the study was carried out.
Data collection
Data for this study came from diabetes patients in the acute setting. The author clearly defined the dependent and independent variables for the study. The time for finger sticks before a meal and the person who administered them are the dependent and independent variables. Nurses and patient care assistants were used by the researcher to establish how the level of blood sugar differed when each of them attended to patients. The decision to collect data using case studies from patients under nurses’ care and patient care assistants was chosen to understand the differences in blood sugar based on the person attending to the patient. The study was conducted in one week time with testing from the nurse and patient care assistants done in the morning and evening. During the study, blood sugar was recorded from patients in the morning and the afternoon, the time before and after a meal and the individual taking care of the patient.
Data management
Data management is essential in any research work to ensure maintenance of credibility. Descriptive statistics was employed in the study to ensure reaching a credible and reliable inference. Records of the results from nurses and patient care assistances were maintained before the frequency of events could be established. The study involved the use of standard deviation and mean to arrive at an inference with no or reduced bias. The researcher employed repeated measures model in establishing the differences in blood sugar between the nurses and the patient care assistances used in the study. However, the study does not indicate any use of software in the analysis of the data.
Findings
The findings of the study can be useful in the nursing field to help reduce cases of blood sugar in patients with diabetes mellitus. Since patient care assistants have proven to administer high amounts of dosage to the patients, it is essential for proper measures to be taken to ensure that nurses do not leave the responsibility of insulin administration to patient care assistants. Nurses need to help train patient care assistants how to administer insulin to patients with diabetes. The insulin administration knowledge will help reduce cases of high levels of blood sugar among patients. The study recommends further studies on the influence of time before meal and administration of insulin for patients with diabetes.
Conclusion
Ethical practices are essential in any research work to help build the trust of participants and enhance the credibility of the study. Human subjects in research need to be protected because the lack of protection contributes to negative psychological and social effects. According to Burns and Grove (2011), lack of protection may result in false information being given to the researchers due to the fear of consequences. Nursing professionals need to be involved in the administration of insulin to patients with diabetes and help patient care assistants ensure best practice. Nurses are better placed to administer insulin dosage to patients with diabetes. Patients on sliding scale insulin need the assistance of professional nurses to ensure that blood sugar levels are maintained to the required standards as the study indicates. Protection of participants in any research work can help get such credible information not only for patients with diabetes but also in other categories of patients. As a result, this aspect needs to be embraced in all nursing fields research work if one needs to get credible findings.
References
Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2010). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence- based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Trotter, B., Conaway, M. R., & Burns, S. M. (2013). Relationship of glucose values to sliding scale insulin (correctional insulin) dose delivery and meal time in acute care patients with diabetes mellitus. Medsurg Nursing, 22(2), 99.
