painless injections

mrsboots87 · Feb 12, 2014

I just started block one 4 weeks ago and don't start injectables until next Thursday lab, so my advice may be wrong. However, I would strongly suggest against practicing injections on yourself. The likelyhood of you getting an infection, air embolus big enough to harm you etc are slim but still possible. Also some injections sites/methods require to hands right? How would you practice those. Maybe someone with more experience/knowledge can chime in, but I personally would nt practice injections on myself. Not to mention, we were very strictly told that we can nt use our lab kit needles on ourselves or others.

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 12, 2014

Why don't you practice with an orange instead of yourself? The trick is to know which needle size is appropriate, the angle of insertion, when to pinch, how deep to go, and where you are inserting the needle. Movements should be smooth and fluid.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 12, 2014

Don't practice on yourself. You can use cooked hotdogs to practice intradermal. Tangerines work well for SubQ. Oranges for IM.

If you want to get a feel for practicing on a real person, just practice the technique with no needle on the syringe, so you learn how to pinch or slide the skin as necessary.

As far as painless, the best advice I can give is to wait until the alcohol is dry on the skin before inserting the needle. Takes the sting out of inserting the needle. If you have a relaxed, confident demeanor when giving injections, it goes a long way towards helping your patient be less anxious.

I don't know if your program does this, but we had to do SubQ & IM injections on our classmates for our skills check off before we were allowed to do them in clinicals.

HammockBound · Feb 12, 2014

I have always found an even, quick injection hurts much less them when nurses put them in really slow

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Feb 12, 2014

agree with above post. Quick in and out is the best technique.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2014

I just started block one 4 weeks ago and don't start injectables until next Thursday lab, so my advice may be wrong. However, I would strongly suggest against practicing injections on yourself. The likelyhood of you getting an infection, air embolus big enough to harm you etc are slim but still possible. Also some injections sites/methods require to hands right? How would you practice those. Maybe someone with more experience/knowledge can chime in, but I personally would nt practice injections on myself. Not to mention, we were very strictly told that we can nt use our lab kit needles on ourselves or others.

1) You would need an intravenous injection of 30-50 cc of air to do yourself any harm (if you don't believe me, please go to your anatomy text and review the normal circulatory path), and that would be extremely difficult to accomplish even using tWo hands. Remember that when you start to get all upset by small bubbles in the IV tubing or syringe later.

2) Your program and local law enforcement would take a dim view of your removing needles from the lab.

3) I know that injections and IVs are the A-numbah-one excitement- and fear-generators for new students (they were for us too, back when Florence was a probie and hollow needles were first invented) but trust me, guys-- it is one of the farthest things from rocket science you will ever see, and it does not require that much practice to master. Your time in lab will be quite sufficient. As a point of reference, we teach children to do their own insulin injections all the time.

Kuriin, BSN, RN · Feb 12, 2014

Biggest point to make, original poster, is that you should not hesitate. Remember that once you stick, there's no hesitation. Not to mention, being confident in yourself will make the patient feel more at ease. Please just remember to NOT tell the patient "It won't hurt," as that is lying.