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kimmicoobug, I had this same discussion come up this week in my preceptorship. I have a daughter who is diabetic and takes insulin injections and was taught even before nursing school not to aspirate when giving SQ insulin. When I started nursing school again I was taught not to aspirate with SQ. While in my preceptorship, another nurse was going to give a sq injection and wanted to know if I wanted the experience, so I went to give the injection with her watching. After I had cleansed the skin with the prep, I pinched up the skin to give the injection and she stopped me and said to pull the skin taut before giveing it. (I was a little confused) and then after I had given the shot, when we left the room. She was critiquing my on my performance, she said not to pinch up the skin like I had done, and that SQ injections should be given at a 45 degree angle and should always be aspirated. I was panicking, thinking that I could not have made so many mistakes with something that I do every day 3 - 4 times a day. Lucky for me I had my Nursing fundimentals and my Pharmacology book with me, I looked up SQ injections and read that I had done everything correctly according to both books. I was really upset, I explained to my preceptor exactly what I had done and she said that was the procedure that she would have followed if she had been giving the injection.
The other nurses was a seasoned nurse practicing for maybe 20 years or more, I guess maybe she was taught differently when she was learning to do them.
kimmicoobug
586 Posts
I know, another aspiration question from me, but I do have this question. Here is the scenario. During my last clinicals in med-surg, one of my patients was DM type 2. She received insulin 3 times during my shift. No problem, since I have cared for numerous diabetics and given lots of SQ inj. My instructor, had me aspirate with all of my SQ inj. We were taught to not aspirate in school. I am just curious if my fellow students are taught differently, or if there is current research saying we should now aspirate?
I guess there is not anything necessarily wrong with aspirating with a SQ (except heparinoids, perhaps), but everyone else I have asked about this practice say that they also do not aspirate with a SQ. I was mostly worried that she would dock me on my grade for medication administration safety, but all's well. Now, I am just genuinely curious and will probably do some research on the subject once I leave this site (may be awhile