A possible dilemma - need your expert advice

Nurses General Nursing

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I am going to be participating in a school physical clinic in a rural community next week; I work for a private company but this is in collaboration with the local government health agency. This is the first time I've done this, but it is my understanding that I may be asked to administer immunizations - not a problem, but I was told the doses would be pre-filled by the nurses from the health agency. I do not feel comfortable giving anything I did not draw up. Am I being unreasonable? Would this battle be worth losing a job I really like over?

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Wow! I dont think I would do it! Espesially if I didnt know the person who had drawn them up! Because there are alot of strange people out there! And who knows what could be in there!! And losing your job? I dont think that would happen for being ethical!

Jen

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

You are absolutely correct. You are responsible when you give a med. I wouldn't do it.

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Wow! I dont think I would do it! Espesially if I didnt know the person who had drawn them up! Because there are alot of strange people out there! And who knows what could be in there!! And losing your job? I dont think that would happen for being ethical!

Jen

:yeahthat: Agree 110%

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I would never inject anything I had not drawn up myself (or, at least, stood right there with the other person and watched being drawn up -- but what would be the point of that?) -- too big a risk, both for you and the client.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Most immunizations that they give at a clinic like that should be a prefilled syringe from the pharmacutical company hopefully.

But i agree, if you didnt draw it up,, i wouldnt give it. They arent saving any time by drawing it up before the clinic, all they are doing is causing a potential infection by exposing the medication to possilbe contamination. There is also potential for decreased effectiveness depending on how long it lays in the plastic barrel of the syringe. Remember the dose is probly sent in a glass vial for a reason, and most likely are single dose vials. Seems like a lot of time spent for no real reason.

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Specializes in primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, NICU.

As a nurse, NO I would not give something I did not draw up. But this brought up a memory of how in nursing school they had us give flu shots at large clinics open to the public. Everything was already drawn up by the instructors or another nursing student. We had groups drawing up the flu shots and groups injecting them. As a nursing student I hadn't ever even thought about the implications of giving an injection that someone else filled.

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As a nurse, NO I would not give something I did not draw up. But this brought up a memory of how in nursing school they had us give flu shots at large clinics open to the public. Everything was already drawn up by the instructors or another nursing student. We had groups drawing up the flu shots and groups injecting them. As a nursing student I hadn't ever even thought about the implications of giving an injection that someone else filled.

Wouldn't do it.

Can't believe the above post - that some instructors actually arranged this project for students to administer syringes prepared by other people!

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