Diabetes Mellitus Case Study (45 min)
Included In This Lesson
Study Tools For Diabetes Mellitus Case Study (45 min)
Outline
Miss Matthews is a 16-year-old female who is brought to the emergency department after collapsing at school. She is currently alert, but pale and weak. A blood glucose performed by the paramedics read meter Max or high. Upon further questioning, the parents report that their daughter has been weak a lot lately. Miss Matthews reports but she’s always hot and exhausted. She reports a 10-pound weight loss over the last 2 months despite eating all the time and agrees that she has been thirsty and peeing a lot. The nurse notes Kussmaul respirations and fruity breath. A serum glucose revealed that Miss Matthews’ blood glucose is 523 mg/dL, and her urine was positive for ketones. The provider explains that she is likely a diabetic. Her parents are shocked as she has always been a healthy and athletic child. The parents ask the nurse “ How can she be diabetic when she is so skinny and exercises all the time? Miss Matthews is treated for diabetic ketoacidosis over the next 2 days and is now feeling much better. The diabetic nurse educator comes by to teach Miss Matthews how to self-administer SubQ insulin using an insulin pen. Miss Matthews says “I can’t stand needles, isn’t there a pill I can take instead?” Miss Matthews is able to demonstrate proper technique for glucose monitoring and self-administration of insulin with the insulin pen. Her blood glucose levels are stable between 140 and 180 mg/dL, and the provider has said that she could go home today.
What additional nursing assessments should be performed at this time?
What history questions would you like to ask of the patient and/or her parents?
What diagnostic tests should be run for Miss Matthews?
What is an appropriate response by the nurse?
What treatments do you expect to be ordered for Miss Matthews at this time?
What is the most appropriate response by the nurse?
What options does Miss Matthews have for insulin administration?
In addition to the insulin education, she has already received, what other education topics should be included in discharge teaching for Miss Matthews?
Rina’s NCLEX Study Plan 2026
Concepts Covered:
- Endocrine System
- Studying
- Urinary System
- Tissues and Glands
- Nervous System
- Circulatory System
- Medication Administration
- Hematologic System
- Skeletal System
- Digestive System
- Respiratory System
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Reproductive System
- Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
- Basics of Human Biology
- Muscular System
- Sensory System
- Communication
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Basics of NCLEX
- Prenatal Concepts
- Prioritization
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Documentation and Communication
- Delegation
- Community Health Overview
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Test Taking Strategies
- Note Taking
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Behavior
- Concepts of Population Health
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Health & Stress
- Labor and Delivery
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Microbiology
- Depressive Disorders
- Postpartum Care
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient
- Emotions and Motivation
- Growth & Development
- Intelligence and Language
- Psychological Disorders
- State of Consciousness
- Respiratory Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Hematologic Disorders
- Cardiovascular Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Oncologic Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Cognitive Disorders
- Eating Disorders
- Personality Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Trauma-Stress Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Developmental Considerations
- Psychological Emergencies
- Somatoform Disorders
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Preoperative Nursing
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Lower GI Disorders
- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Cardiac Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Postoperative Nursing
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Urinary Disorders
- Neurological Emergencies
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Renal Disorders
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- EENT Disorders
- Shock
- Cardiovascular
- Shock
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Endocrine
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Gastrointestinal
- Upper GI Disorders
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Neurological
- Respiratory
- Hematologic Disorders
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Immunological Disorders
- Oncology Disorders
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Vascular Disorders
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Newborn Complications
- Disorders of Thermoregulation
- Neurological Trauma
- Integumentary Important Points
- Multisystem
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Emergency Care of the Respiratory Patient
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Fetal Development
- Terminology
- Proteins
- Statistics
- Med Term Basic
- Med Term Whole
- Basics of Mathematics
- Basics of Sociology
- Pregnancy Risks
- Labor Complications
- Newborn Care
- Postpartum Complications
- Understanding Society
- Adult
- Dosage Calculations
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Learning Pharmacology