Key Concepts
Introduction
Insulin therapy is central to diabetes management and a major source of medication errors and hypoglycemia incidents in both hospital and community settings. For NCLEX-RN Canada, insulin requires mastery of: types and timing, safe administration, hypoglycemia recognition and management, and patient education for safe home use. Insulin is the only hormone that lowers blood glucose. It facilitates cellular glucose uptake (muscle, fat, liver), inhibits hepatic glucose production, and promotes glycogen synthesis and fat storage. Normal glucose targets (US Diabetes Standards): - Fasting/pre-meal: 4.0–7.0 mg/dL or mEq/L - 2h post-meal: 5.0–10.0 mg/dL or mEq/L - At bedtime: 4.0–8.0 mg/dL or mEq/L (risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia if lower) - Hypoglycemia: < 4.0 mg/dL or mEq/L - Severe hypoglycemia: < 3.0 mg/dL or mEq/L or too low to self-treat On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors are classic trap answers even when the clinical topic is familiar. Run a 60-second scan: breathing work and oxygenation, perfusion and end organs, neuro baseline,...