Morphine in TB Syringe, etc

[rehabhereIcome]

I am seeing nurses give morphine with a TB syringe. Is there a reason for doing this?? Even though that is a sc needle I would have thought to draw it up in a regular 1ml syringe with a half inch needle? Is this just a nursing preference?? Are they the same essentially?

Concentration is morphine 10mg per 1ml and the prescribed dose is 1 to 3mg every 4 hours PRN Therefore give 0.1ml to 0.3mls SC.

Also....

A nurse was giving insulin in a TB needle too! What?

I won't be doing that one I know. Insulin is in units.

I have seen a few odd practices and so when I see things done differently than I might do it confuses me! Ha!

Last one. When pt is getting heparin or Enoxaparin as well as insulin shots can the sites be intermingled? Or would you be avoiding the tummy area for insulin if it is being used for the lovenox? Does it matter?

Thanks

[mel1977]

I haven't read all-but it is in our policy only to use insulin syringes to give insulin-We never substitute and I would think if you didn't have the correct syringe you would call a physician and get an order to either hold the insulin and or give in another syringe. I wouldn't just make that decision and if you work in a place that doesn't have on-calls, I would call upper management. What about a nearby pharmacy? I'm sorry but my license is way to important to me to make that call. Just my opinion....

also, just read first two pages then put my two cents in....

Isn't morphine usually given IM and not SQ?