Question

[Whisper]

Today was the first day on my new placement, and I think I may have put my foot it in it with my mentor already.

Doing an SC injection, I was told to draw back, which really threw me becasue i have NEVER done this before, In uni and previous wards told no need to draw back on SC's... but my mentor commented on how nurses aren't trained proparely any more.

So my question, after all that babble, should you draw back on an SC? and does anyone have any links or information on why you should/shouldn't do this?

Thanks.

Whisper

[karenG]

oh help- back in the dim distant mists of time I was taught to draw back before giving a subcut. not sure what the drill is now but I still do! old dogs and new habits............

But I do have some research at work about it which I will check and let you know.

Karen

[Spaniel gal]

on the rare occasions i give SC i draw back only because thats the way i was taught. :imbar god its bad i should know why, i think in paeds its for safety because your more likely to hit somthing yor not suppose to.

[Whisper]

Thanks,

I was taught in uni, that you didn't need to draw back because of the angle, and depth 'radicaly reduce' (direct qoute from my notes) the chance of hitting a blood vessel.

I have only ever done one IM before so I have not had a lot of practice at drawing back, I think I need to get an orange and some syringes.... not much chance of that happening though!

[Spaniel gal]

ahh forget oranges

thats what fellow students are for !! or navie best mate/ other half :lol2:

seriously thats what i did

[Whisper]

we aren't allowed to practice, except in clinicals skills which I had over a year ago, or on placements,

[Spaniel gal]

oh ok, but you could practice on your mates if they are willing??

i sadly have a brother with CF he willingly let me practice on him (sounds awful but he offered!!)

If you wanna practice you could ask to work at your GP's in the vaccination clinic with the nurse or try and be placed there for placement

[Audreyfay]

We do not teach patients to aspirate when giving insulin. However, when I'm giving subcu injections, I always aspirate... again...because that's how I was taught. You are correct. It is almost impossible to inject into a vessel subcu. It's the old thing, "we always do it this way." But why? Aw, humor your mentor and thank her for the tip. Do it her way when she's watching.

[Whisper]

I was polite and said I will remember to do it her way, but she just semmed real unimpressed that I questioned it.

Not just happened to em though, my friend also went on the district and did a subcut without drawing back, and was picked up by her mentor, I am trying to think if it is a district thing or if they never really watched what we were doing on the wards.

Spanial Gal, the reason i can't practice is that I can not get hold of the needles, heck whne we wanted to practice bandaging we had to go and buy some.

[Spaniel gal]

sorry, i dont draw back when i give insulin, i just meant for practice.

[Spaniel gal]

whisper, wont your placements let you urm... borrow (clean unused) needles/syringes we let our students. well they gotta practice and practice makes perfect. as i said maybe ask your GP if you could do a day or so placement or maybe occ health nurse may let you spent a day with her??

[Whisper]

I uhmm borrowed bandages so i could practice spika (sp) bandaging, but needles and syringes are kept under a much tighter lock and key.

I did a couple more today, so I am getting some practice in, just not too much, I have arranged to spend a day with the practice nurse on placement, oc health said no,

I will get the hang of it, just eventually!