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by LilNurse2b143

I'm in my first semester of the nursing program and we are going to be giving injections soon and I am SO nervous! How did everyone else do during the first few weeks of giving them? I'm so afraid I'll go in "too deep" or won't go deep enough! I wish there was something I could practice on beforehand but there's not! Any advice??

[midcom]

Re: Starting Injections?

I think we all go through what you are experiencing right now. I am just ending my second term & that when we learned giving injections. It really isn't all that hard. You'll probably get to practice on something before trying it on a person. Some schools don't even have you practice on each other but mine did. If you can come up with a syringe & needle to practice with at home, an orange is a pretty good substitute for a real body. I've heard of nursing students injecting them full of vodka & enjoying the results later.

As far as going too deep, as long as you use the right needle length, you won't. They tech you to aspirate so you don't inject into a vein. You can go too deep with IDs but it won't hurt anything, it just doesn't go where you intended it and you don't produce a wheel. They teach you the correct angle for each kind of injection so you get it right.

Good luck. I survived & so will you. (spoken as one who still hasn't given one to a "real" patient yet. )
Dixie

[Tiwi]

Re: Starting Injections?

Originally Posted by midcom

If you can come up with a syringe & needle to practice with at home, an orange is a pretty good substitute for a real body. I've heard of nursing students injecting them full of vodka & enjoying the results later.

Dixie

Now that's different, and very creative!

[WDWpixieRN]

Re: Starting Injections?

I, too, used an orange at home just to get the feel of sticking "something"....we were not allowed to use each other and therefore I certainly wasn't going to practice on family or friends....the orange worked well for me....I injected mine with some water I had dyed red to get the feel of aspiration for IMs...

The first injections I gave the next week were SQ heparin and insulin....as much as I was creeped out thinking of giving a shot a few weeks before, it was a piece of cake...we also did a flu clinic that semester which really helped getting comfortable with IMs....

Good luck....for some reason, looking ahead, I think injections are one of the easier tasks nurses have!! (and least messy!!)

[Josie24]

Re: Starting Injections?

Many nurses in my clinical settings have told me, "It is always better to give than to receive!" I was terrified of giving IMs, but I always remember those words of wisdom. Now they are easy.

[srg4784]

Re: Starting Injections?

In our curriculum we give each other sub q's, and ID........IM's we only practice on models. My very first day at clinical last semester, what do ya know..... I had to give an IM. I knew for 2 hours what I was going to have to do so knowing me what did I do, anxiety.... it built up and built up. My teacher gave me a pep talk (which was rare by the way) and I was like you know I can do this. So we went in (the pt. loved me and my partner) I stuck it in, aspirated and that was it. My pt. turned and looked at it once and was like "Well that wasn't bad at all, give her an A" ..... My teacher said I didn't go far enough that I should have went a little further like half an inch or smaller. Overall it was a good experience knowing that my pt. didn't get mad at me but I know it had to hurt her a little bit or she wouldn't have turned and looked down at it the way she did. After was done, "hands up" above head and in the sharps you go!!!! I'm so anxious to do another one. Given plenty of sub q's and one ID.....BRING ON THE IM'S!!!!!

It will get better the more you do

[moongirl]

Re: Starting Injections?

Originally Posted by Tiwi

Now that's different, and very creative!

a hot dog feels more realisti for practice.. although I wouldnt want to eat a Vodka Dog..????

[OnTheRoad]

Re: Starting Injections?

As midcom said, as long as you use the correct needle you won't go too deep. My instructors taught me to go all the way in with the correct needle. I just gave my first IM to a human last week and to a newborn with what felt like no muscle at all. I am sure it pinched, but I didn't hurt him and as soon as he was swaddled he was happy as a clam.

[Kiringat]

Re: Starting Injections?

I really enjoyed learining (and doing) injections. Oranges are good practice, esp with the vodka thing... I've also been told eggplants are effective too. We also were allowed to pratice on each other using sterile saline. The best thing was that we went to a couple of giant flu shots where we each gave 40 or so injections. That'll get you over your fear fast.

[Bonny619]

Re: Starting Injections?

I graduate in December and still haven't done an IM injection. Kinda bummed about that.