Nursing Perspectives on Hospital Use of Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor in Patients with Suspected or Known COVID-19 during Insulin Infusion

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic resulted in the need for remote glucose monitoring in intensive care unit (ICU) patients requiring insulin infusions. While rarely reported, perceptions from nursing staff are critical for successful implementation and expanded use. A hybrid continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and intermittent point of care (POC) glucose monitoring was developed at the study institution. After 1.5 years of protocol use, an anonymous survey was distributed electronically to ICU nurses to obtain their perspectives on CGM utilization. The survey employed a 1-5 Likert scale regarding CGM sensor insertion, accuracy, acceptability, and usability as well as perceptions on reduced room entry and reduced workload. Of the 51 surveys completed, 50 (98%) nurses reported they cared for an ICU patient enrolled in the CGM protocol and 31 (62%) started or replaced a CGM sensor. A representative sample of questions and responses is shown in table 1. ICU nurses overwhelmingly reported CGM was accurate, reduced their workload, provided safer patient care, and was preferred over POC glucose testing alone. These results confirm nursing acceptance and preference for CGM use within a hybrid glucose monitoring protocol in the ICU setting.