Insulin: What School Staff Need To Know

Main ideas, concepts, and lessons

• Glucose (sugar) is a key energy source for the body and largely comes from food.
• Insulin is a hormone that helps the body’s cells use glucose for energy.
• A healthy pancreas releases insulin to keep blood sugar in a healthy range.
• Blood sugar needs can change based on food, activity, illness, and stress.

Type 1 diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes: students cannot produce insulin.
• Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as:
  • fatigue
  • frequent peeing
  • extreme thirst
  • weight loss
• If high blood sugar is not treated, the person can become very sick.

Insulin timing (key school practice)

• The ideal time to give insulin is before every meal, including lunchtime.

How insulin may be given (methods)

1) Insulin by injection (common at school)

• Often administered using an insulin pen.
• An insulin pen includes:
  • a fine needle at the tip
  • a cartridge of insulin
  • a dial to select the dose
• Some students may also receive a slower-acting insulin at breakfast, intended to last through around lunchtime and the afternoon.
• Critical safety point: because the insulin dose is matched to the student’s planned lunch and snacks, it is very important they eat all their food on time.

2) Insulin by pump

• An insulin pump delivers a slow, continuous flow of insulin via a small tube under the skin.
• This continuous delivery is called basal insulin.
• When the student eats or needs blood sugar lowered, they require additional insulin called a bolus.
• The pump’s bolus insulin is user-controlled—the pump does not work on its own.

Care Plan and staff responsibilities

• If insulin is needed during the school day (by injection or pump), the specific instructions will be provided in the student’s Care Plan.
• Staff who supervise or help with insulin administration will be trained on how to do it.
• After insulin is given, staff should record the dose and time in:
  • the student’s log book, or
  • another home–school communication tool.

Overall lesson

• Understanding how and when to administer insulin helps keep students with type 1 diabetes safe at school.

Speakers / sources featured

• No specific individual speakers or named sources are mentioned in the provided subtitles.