Question

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

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.

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!

ahh forget oranges

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

seriously thats what i did

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

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

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.

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.

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

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??

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!

glad you got more practice are you paeds? just curious. what uni are you at? i dont mind if you prefer not to say. i went to Buckinghamshire Chilterns it was ok, and most of my placements were really good. havent given that many injections being in paeds they are few and far between.