An assessment of intramuscular injection practices among nursing students and nurses in hospital settings: is it evidence-based?

Aim To analyze general aspects of intramuscular injection (IM)procedure and its compliance with current recommendations.Methods The study was conducted in the form of a cross-sectionalstudy. The sample consisted of 294 respondents (149were students of final year of the secondary nursing school, and145 nurses). Data were collected from February to April 2012.The instrument used to assess the IM injection procedure was aquestionnaire designed for the purpose of this study. Statisticalanalysis included descriptive and inferential analysis. Statisticallysignificant values were considered to be at the level of p<0.05.Results Dorsogluteal site to administer intramuscular injectionswas prefered for use by 139 (88.0%) students and 130(89.7%) nurses. Regarding the selection of a needle for IMinjection, 103 (68.2%) students and 118 (72.0%) nurses preferedto use 21 g needle (green). A total number of 112 (75.2%)students would immediately give an injection after disinfectionof the skin, while 79 (54.5%) nurses allow skin to dry, andthen give an injection. The Z-technique would be applied byonly 29 (20.0%) nurses. Most respondents,129 (86.6%) studentsand 109 (75.1%) nurses withdrew needle immediatelyafter administering the drug. The injection site was not massagedby 95 (63.8%) students and 46 (31.7%) nurses.Conclusion Based on our results, we have concluded that inSerbia IM administration procedures are carried out traditionallyand this confirms the need for written instructions for implementingthis procedures in all health institutions in order tocarry it out uniformly and to prevent adverse events. This studyhas shown positive progress in implementing the procedure,but it is just a beginning.