Insulin Mnemonics for Nursing Students

Introduction

• Speaker: Sarah from RegisteredNurser.com
• Focus: Insulin mnemonics for remembering insulin peak times and categories.
• Part of a diabetic series for NCLEX review.
• Reminder: Take the free quiz after watching the video to test your knowledge.

Categories of Insulin

• Students often struggle with remembering insulin categories and their onset, peak, and duration times.
• Technique: Use the word "INSULIN" to remember categories:
  • Rapid: Fastest acting
  • Short: Ready set
  • Intermediate: Middle (letter U in insulin)
  • Long: Takes the longest

Insulin Categories & Drugs

• Rapid Acting:
  • Drugs: Humalog, Novolog
• Short Acting:
  • Drugs: Regular insulins ending in 'R' (e.g., Novolin R, Humulin R)
• Intermediate Acting:
  • Drugs: NPH (e.g., Humulin N)
• Long Acting:
  • Drugs: Levemir, Lantus

Onset, Peak, and Duration

• Importance: Peak time is crucial for monitoring hypoglycemia risk.

Mnemonics for Insulin Timings

• Rapid Acting:
  • Onset: 15 minutes
  • Peak: 1 hour
  • Duration: 3 hours
  • Mnemonic: "15 minutes feels like an hour during three rapid responses."
• Short Acting:
  • Onset: 30 minutes
  • Peak: 2 hours
  • Duration: 8 hours
  • Mnemonic: "Short staffed nurses went from 30 patients to 8 patients."
• Intermediate Acting:
  • Onset: 2 hours
  • Peak: 8 hours
  • Duration: 16 hours
  • Mnemonic: "Nurses play hero to eight 16 year olds." (NPH)
• Long Acting:
  • Onset: 2 hours
  • Peak: No peak
  • Duration: 24 hours
  • Mnemonic: "The two long nursing shifts never peaked but lasted 24 hours."

Conclusion

• Practice by writing the categories and timings to reinforce memory.
• Watch the video multiple times for better retention.
• Check out the other videos in the diabetic series.
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