The information in this post has been de-identified and some of the details changed to protect the identity of the patient. All the information in this blog is consistent with the NMBA Social Media Guidelines and can be found here: https://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Codes-Guidelines/Social-media-guidance.aspx . This is NOT a ‘How to’ and should not be taken as instruction on how to do injections. This is just me, sharing my experience of giving my first injection.
I was lucky enough to be doing a community placement during my second year. The nurses I had been working with asked me if there was anything I wanted to do while on placement with them. Of course I had a list as long as my arm but what I really wanted to do, more than anything, was give an injection!
I’d been practicing preparing different medications and giving injections on dummies in class and I couldn’t wait to give my first injection. Luckily, the nurses had one patient who was receiving medications by intramuscular (IM) injections. By chance, his last dose was due later that day. A wave of terror washed over me. There was no time to go home and reexamine my textbooks – this was happening today. I had never even had the opportunity to give any oral medications before.
The nurses informed me that the patient was particularly afraid of needles and that he might be a little apprehensive in letting me give the injection or he may jump from the needle as he had done previously. This was all very helpful information that would later help me give the injection.
We arrived at the patient’s house and he invited us inside. I was so nervous, I was sweating. The nurse asked if it would be okay if I gave the injection today and he consented. I began preparing the medication and the patient. I was so nervous about getting it right that it took me almost ten whole minutes to prepare the medication.
The patient asked me ‘Are you any good at giving these?’ I felt like a deer caught in headlights. I said ‘You can let me know after this.’ It was all over in a second. It went smoothly. No apprehension. No jumping. After all my nervousness, I had given my first injection! (My first ever medication for that matter!) I felt like a proper nurse!
Now that I’m in third year, I’ve given more injections than I can remember. I still get excited and nervous giving them! And I still have a long way to go. Almost every time I need to give an injection I need to look up the medication in the Injectable Drugs Handbook and it still takes me almost 10 minutes every time but practice makes perfect.
There’s more to nursing than giving injections but it was super exciting to give my first injection! And to any mums, happy mother’s day!
Daisy Azmi 