If I were educating a patient learning to take their blood glucose level for the first time, I would

first instruct the patient to gather the necessary supplies: a blood-glucose meter, a
test/collection strip, cotton balls and a sterile lancet. Next, I would emphasize how important
hand hygiene is and teach them to always wash their hands thoroughly before starting. Next I
would demonstrate to the patient the area of the fingertip that should be used, and make sure
they know to avoiding puncturing the very tip of the finger or along the sides of the finger where
the tissue is thinner. Then I would instruct them to thoroughly clean the area with an antiseptic
wipe and then let the area dry before proceeding. Next, I would instruct them to puncture their
fingertip with the lancet, use a cotton ball to wipe away the first drop of blood, then squeeze the
finger, release, and then squeeze again to get a second drop of blood to be absorbed by the
test strip. Then I would instruct them to insert the test strip into the glucose meter and wipe the
remaining blood from the tip of the finger, using a bandage if necessary. Throw away the trash
and turn off the blood glucose meter. Finally, the blood glucose meter should show a reading.
The ideal blood glucose level would be between 70-130 mg/dl prior to a meal and less than 180
mg/dl within one to two hours following a meal.

Burton, M. (2019). Fundamentals of Nursing Care: Concepts, Connections & Skills with DavisEdge [Third
Edition]. Retrieved June 18, 2020.