GLUCOARD METER ELECTRONIC COMPETENCY

This Electronic Competency has been designed for Canterbury District Health Board staff only.

Please read these points before continuing.

Before attempting this competency, please read and have a thorough understanding of the information contained on the glucose meter pages and also the capillary blood collection page.
Have you completed the Electronic Capillary Blood Collection Competency module? You are strongly recommended to complete the Capillary Blood Collection Competency before attempting this module.
This competency document should only be completed if you are already familiar and comfortable with the procedure.
If you have not been trained in the proper use of the Glucocard meter, then this competency is inappropriate for you. Please contact your supervisor or the Point of Care Coordinator to arrange proper training for this POC Test.
If all your answers to this questionnaire are satisfactory, a Competency Diploma will be issued to you within a few days of your submission. If your submission contains inconsistencies, you will be contacted for refresher training.

NOTE! Do not use the ENTER key. Doing so will immediately display your results and then transmit them prematurely; please separate multiple answers to the same question with a semicolon; when you are finished and have checked your answers, click on the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the page.

NAME: (Please key in your name in the field below)

WARD OR CLINIC: (Please key in your place of employment in the field below)

DATE:

Q1. Have you read and are you familiar with Page 22 of the Nurses Procedure Manual Volume E- (the recommended blood collection procedure to obtain a capillary specimen)?

Yes

Q2. Please state:

(a) What the CheckStrip^® is:

(b) What range of values are acceptable:

Q3. Can you confirm that the ChekStrip^® has been tested in the last 7 days and that the correct results have been obtained and documented?

Yes

Q4. Is the expiry date of the Glucocard test strips valid?

Yes

Q5. Can you successfully remove a strip from its foil pack, orientate it correctly and insert it fully into the port on the meter?

Yes

Q6. Do the test strips and the meter show the same lot number?

Yes

Q7. Is it important that they match? Why?

Q8. Is it important that the patient's blood sample be collected from a clean, dry area on the finger or thumb?

Yes

Q9. Why is this? Please write your response in the field below.

Q10. What area of the finger, thumb or heel should you collect the blood sample from? Why is it important?

Q11. Do you think it important to always wipe the first drop of blood away before starting your collect?

Yes

Q12. Why should you discard the first drop of blood?

Q13. Is it possible to short sample the blood?

Yes

Q14. How would you know that you had short sampled?

(Please select all that you think are correct)

Result was higher than expected

Result was lower than expected

Blood didn't enter all the way into the test strip chamber and analyser didn't beep

Insufficient patient blood sample obtained

Result didn't fit with the clinical picture.

Q15. What would you do if the result did not fit with the clinical condition of the patient?

(Please select all that you think are correct)

Check expiry date and lot number of strips

Ignore the result

Repeat the test

Seek advice from senior staff

Q16. Understands the limitations of the meter?

Yes

Q17. Should the Glucose meter be used if the patient is:

(17a) hypersomolar: Yes No

(17b) ketotic: Yes No

(17c) dehydrated: Yes No

(17d) unconscious: Yes No

Q18. Please give reasons for your answers to Q17, parts a, b, c and d:

Q19. Will patients receiving oxygen therapy give falsely low glucose results using Glucocard?

Yes

Q20. Can you explain your answer to Q19?

Q21. Will venous samples give falsely low glucose results using Glucocard?

Yes

Q22. Can you explain your answer to Q21?

Q23. Understands that ascorbic acid, acetominophen, dopamine and mannitol can affect glucose results (Note that therapeutic acetominophen levels will not affect glucose results)

Yes

Q24. Knows that transcribing results into patient's record is important.

Yes

Q25. Knows that along with the patient's results, that transcribing operator ID, date and time is essential.

Yes

No.

Q26. Please explain why Q24 and Q25 are important and why each item listed in Q25 needs to be included.

Q27. Knows that competencies must be reviewed annually.

Yes

Please review your answers to all of the questions above. Make sure your contact details are clearly stated.
When you are satisfied with your replies, please press the Submit button ONCE ONLY.
Once you click the Submit button, your answers are automatically emailed to the POCT Coordinator.
A confirmation screen will appear with all your answers.
Within a few days you will receive acknowledgement of your Competency in the internal mail.