Giving A Family Member An Injection

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 4, 2014

I give allergy shots and I often have parents ask if they can give the injections at home rather than come to the office every week. The reasons we do not allow it are 1. There is a protocol to follow which can be hard for family members to master, as the dose changes from week to week. There is also a protocol for missed doses. 2. There are contra-indications for giving the shots (such as fever or poorly controlled asthma), which we need to review and document at every visit. 3. Every injection carries the risk, however small, of anaphylaxis, and staff must be trained to recognize this complication and intervene appropriately. Oxygen and resuscitation equipment must be on hand. Less severe, local reactions are also possible and we monitor and treat them in the office.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Mar 4, 2014

I don't see why you couldn't give an injection to a family member -- we teach patient's families to give injections at home sometimes. My questions is whether you WANT to. Last time DH needed a tetorifice shot, a friend of ours volunteered to give him the injection. He whined and carried on about how badly it hurt for MONTHS, and now every time we see that friend, he reminds her. Which is exactly why *I* refused to give it to him.

WanderLust07 · Mar 5, 2014

I've decided I'm not going to give it. Reason being is my husbands ex wife is psycho and will likely try to blame something on me, regardless if something is wrong or not.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 5, 2014

I've decided I'm not going to give it. Reason being is my husbands ex wife is psycho and will likely try to blame something on me, regardless if something is wrong or not.

Hey, it's bad enough when we have to deal with those psychos in the clinic!