New nurse beating myself up

[Armywife08]

I'm a new LVN, and I was giving immunizations today. I had two that were really fiesty, so fiesty that when giving a sub q of mmr and varicella I forgot to let go of the pinch while I was injecting...I was more focused on getting the injection in and forgot. And with a flu vaccine on an older kid in the arm, the parent was having a hard time getting the child under control and when I had an opportunity I was able to give the vaccine... but I realized I did not z-track it I was focused on finding an opportunity to give it. I also had an adult flu shot that had some clear fluid leak out right after giving (not a lot), and I'm wondering if I did not shift the skin enough, or if you can have some leak out even with proper z-track. Now I am beating myself up thinking I'm a bad nurse, or that these things could some how have hurt the patient.

[Jolie, BSN]

Few nursing tasks are as challenging than giving shots to frightened, uncooperative children. Gather your supplies, get as much help as possible distracting & holding the child, and get it done as swiftly as possible. Your technique may not always be picture perfect, but it is unlikely that any harm will come from forgetting to z track or injecting into pinched tissue. The child received the intended vaccine. Consider that a win.

[ivyleaf]

I was not taught to do those injections by the z track method and never have.. Did someone tell you that you had to?