Giving injections!

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I love being a nurse. There are a couple things I don't like however. Probably one of the jobs I most dislike is giving IM injections. I get nervous, and sweat, and second and third-guess my placement.

I am not so bad in the arm but when I have to get into the bottom, well that's the worst. I know how to find the right spot, but its like I blank out when I get there and completely don't trust myself.

The IM's we give are mostly rhogam, depo, and I've given IM pred (I think, some type of steroid in any case). I haven't yet given a depo but I am nervous because I know that hurts a lot d/t the viscosity.

Don't even get me started on giving the babies their injections. I did that once and I don't know which of us suffered more, the baby or me.

Suggestions anyone? I thought of doing a flu shot clinic but I couldn't find any that weren't already hired up and working five days a week limits my free time anyway.

I completely understand about injection fear! I don't think I've ever given an IM except in nursing school...on a baby. I work on a unit with immunosuppressed cancer patients who also have really low platelets, so an IM is usually a big no no there.

However...this population also tends to be very thin and frail...so one SQ insulin injection I gave a few weeks ago...my patient had very little fatty tissue...and the needle went straight through the skin/tissue right into my finger. (Arg!) Heh...so the past few weeks...I've been rather scared of injections.

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Specializes in Pediatric Private Duty; Camp Nursing.

Oh, good, I'm not the only one who hates giving IMs. I hate when I'm on a floor when it's procrit day for this one lady. I'm ok beforehand but I get woozy afterwards, and the weird thing is, I've never been squeamish about anything! Once I gave an IM to a very frail, skinny gentleman, and I hit the bone. Ugh, I thought I was going to pass out! :eek:

Just a note to nurses who give shots to babies and small children... when my daughters would go in for their shots, I would put them to the breast to nurse while they'd get their shots. They'd yelp for a second, then go right back to nursing for comfort. They nursed until they were 2 1/2, so I got to use this trick with them for a while. Might be worth the suggestion to moms, it makes everyone feel better all around! :redbeathe

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Specializes in critical care, home health.

I still hate giving IM's, but fortunately I rarely have to do it. During flu season I can often be seen giving flu shots to my co-workers, and it hurts me way more than it hurts them. I've also given IM Zofran to my pregnant friends. I hate it hate it hate it. And that one whole day in nursing school where all I did was give a hundred babies their vaccinations? I've blocked that out of my mind.

My very first IM was on a cachexic guy with metastatic cancer, and I did hit the bone. The next day, he remembered the pain of the shot well enough to describe how horrible it was, but fortunately he didn't remember that I was the one who did it.

SQ, no problem. Mostly. I still cringe every time, even though I give probably 4 or 5 each shift, but my patients claim they don't even feel it.

I even cringe when I check blood sugars. I just hate to hurt people.

I love starting IVs though.

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