Ever give yourself a flu shot before?

[VivaLasViejas]

Up until yesterday, the answer for me was "No". It's never been a problem before..........I'd always worked where there were other nurses available to give them. Then a few days ago as I was organizing flu clinics for the residents and staff of my ALF---and I must say I'm proud that 90% of my staff complied, as opposed to 20% in past years according to my boss---it occurred to me that EVERYONE would be able to get one......except me! Even my hubby the maintenance man could come to my office and get his flu shot, instead of paying $30 at the doctor's office.

But who would give me mine? I didn't want to go to the doctor and pay $30 either, not when I had free vaccine available. I didn't want to go to the health department and fill out a ream of paperwork, pay $20, and then sit there for two hours and wait for my turn. And I sure as heck wasn't going to let any of my staff---not even the ones who are trained to give insulin injections---take a poke at my deltoid with a 1" needle!

Well, I've never heard of anyone doing this before, but as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. So I figured, hmmmm........what are the elements of a flu vaccination? I have a leg, which contains a big ol' muscle called the vastus lateralis; I have flu vaccine; I have a needle and syringe; and I have the skill to use 'em. Besides, I had nothing to lose---what am I going to do, sue myself if I make a mistake and hit a nerve? People all over the world have to give themselves injections every day.......so I loaded up my syringe, performed the customary ablutions, waited for the alcohol to dry, and POINK!

Now I have some mild redness and soreness around the injection site, just like everybody else in the building. What's funny is, my staff and even some of the residents think that's about the coolest thing they've ever seen a nurse do........."You are one tough chick!" my lead med aide gushed admiringly (and as a bonus, SHE decided to get a flu shot for the very first time in her life, even though she's been a healthcare worker for half a dozen years). High praise from someone who's got tattoos on every major area of her body.

Anyone else ever do this? I can't imagine there'd be any rule against it, especially when one is the ONLY licensed nurse anywhere in a facility; but it did feel kind of funny to do my own flu shot and document it in my own personnel record.

Oh well.........at least that's one less thing I've got to worry about this winter. I NEVER miss getting a flu shot, and working with the elderly as I do, I tend to think of it as a social responsibility as well. Even if it's a do-it-yourself job!

[NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN]

Marla-

I agree with you. I'll treat anything of my own that hurts before I'll let someone else; especially splinters and things of that nature. However, giving myself a shot or venipuncture is another story. See, the thing is, I can't watch things go into my skin. That I can let other people do. I'd rather someone do it with her eyes open, thank you very much. It completely creeps me out. I watched them get blood from me one time and was fine until I saw the needle under my skin. Then I was ready to hit the floor. I try not to think about it because it still causes me the shivers.

[Sandi0302]

Yep! Last year I gave myself one

[Haunted]

Uh huh, but being right handed gave it into left det, took forever for muscle pain to go away but better than the alternative.

[Keshet]

Yes, I too have done it twice, when I was working night shift! The hospital provided the vaccine but nobody at night to administer it! We just had to sign it out for ourselves. Both times I did it in the deltoid, using a big mirror in the bathroom. Just like giving one to someone else, except it hurts more!

(Glad I'm not the only one!)

Never drew my own blood though. Now, that's gutsy!

[sphinx, BSN, RN]

Although I routinely poke myself 3 times a week, those are SQ......for some reason the thought of doing my own IM injection makes me

::shudder::

But I bet I could muster up the gumption to do it if I was in a position to do so!

[Moneypitt]

I am really good at giving injections. You betcha I prefer me over someone else.

BTW- I had a really bad experience with a nurse who couldn't start or properly remove an IV- on me. So I am kind of jaded.

[storm06]

During a run of flu shot vacc before winter a student RN came to tell me he had drawn up his flu shot. Acting macho he then preceded to tell me he was brave enough to give it to himself. I told him to stop being a show off, that I would do it. So I took the syringe, prepped the arm and in it went. While I am giving him the needle, I'm thinking this is is a big dose (back in the days before pre packaged vacc shots). I suddenly went cold and asked him what was in the needle,,,,,,

"My yearly vaccinations, I only wanted to have one needle".

The student had loaded the flu shot, hep b + c, mmr and someother one I cant remember, into 1 needle. I got hauled over the coals by the Sr Nursing Officer and got a written warning (didnt check the 5 rights, could not document which muscle contained which vacc and therefore it would be imposible to know which vaccine may have caused an adverse reaction, didnt check that the drug has been stored correctly before giving it, didnt explain the side effect of the vaccinations, allowed a student to draw up a medication with out checking it and behaved in an unproffessional way). There was a huge drama about wheather they could all be given in the same shot, pharmacy was called, Doctors were called and the Poisons line were asked for their opinion. This was during a time when troops were being delployed oversees so we were giving a lot of nasty vaccinations, thank the Lord he didnt draw those up,, I shudder to think was the results could have been. Needless to say the student was fine, didnt have a reaction, didnt faint and thought the whole thing was rather funny.

It took me a while to pick up what was left of my self respect:chair: It was also an important lesson learnt, and though I can laugh about it now, it was fairly serious when it happened(about 12 yrs go). Never give any medication you havent drawn up or dispensed yourself!!!!!!! I just thought is was bizzare giving yourself an injection when there were at least 5 people qualified to do it. It never occoured to me that someone would draw up all the vacc's in one needle, especially since we had a strictly adhered to vacc policy.

So if someone whats to give themselves a shot, I say GO FOR IT!. Just dont ask me!!

[nuangel1, BSN, RN]

i have never given myself the flu shots but i have have given sq and im's to myself when i was on infertility meds a while back it didn't bother me then or now.

[Mistify]

I have given myself shots with no problems, find a location and poke it. I have

very bad veins, so there have been times when I had to draw my own blood(usually in the hand or AC). The worse experience I ever had was a few years ago, I was taken, by ambulance, to the hospital for severe dehydration. Between the ambulance and the hospital staff, an IV was attempted 17 TIMES with no luck! I finally took matters in my own hands and put in a 18g cath in my AC myself, in front of the doctors and staff that had all just missed it. They asked how I did it, I was a Registered Veterinary Technician at the time and could get a cath in a mouse, a human(even myself) was a cakewalk.