Can I legally give injections?

[harutaishou]

I was recently hired at a clinic as an uncertified medical assistant and was instructed by the physician (who is fully aware I am not certified) to begin giving simple IM injections today without any prior training or anything. Again, I am not certified as an MA, phlebotomist, or EMT. I did the injection under the guidance and direction of a certified MA, but I am not sure about the legality of this or if this is something I want to even bring up in interviews because of questionable ethics. Thoughts? I'm reading a lot of conflicting stuff on this. I'm located in CA.

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[Bacchus]

I wouldn't bring it up. I wouldn't mention it at all. If you have no entity that is credentialing you for injections you really shouldn't be doing them however benign they seem.

 

[cherubb3]

When I was certified as a CNA I wasn't even allowed to administer oxygen to patients. I would not mention that you gave an IM injection.

 

[gothicfoxes]

I hope your employer has you included on some kind of malpractice/accident protection policy.

 

[AvrgPreMedKid]

I work as a scribe at a primary care practice, and I have been giving injections since my second week. I think, technically, you are allowed to do it under the "supervision" of the physician. I know students are not allowed to, but if you are a paid employee, it's okay. Might be different in certain states, though... Idk... I brought it up in my interview as a selling point.
Also, they're just intramuscular injections - pretty hard to mess that up. I'm guessing you're doing things like tetanus vaccinations & flu shots like myself.

 

[gothicfoxes]

Also, they're just intramuscular injections - pretty hard to mess that up.

Nerve injuries!

 

[Bacchus]

I work as a scribe at a primary care practice, and I have been giving injections since my second week. I think, technically, you are allowed to do it under the "supervision" of the physician. I know students are not allowed to, but if you are a paid employee, it's okay. Might be different in certain states, though... Idk... I brought it up in my interview as a selling point.
Also, they're just intramuscular injections - pretty hard to mess that up. I'm guessing you're doing things like tetanus vaccinations & flu shots like myself.

*Pretty hard to mess up if you know the anatomy of where you're injecting, sure you're not in neurovasculature and are sure the patient isn't going to vasovagal on you.

 

[Spector1]

Whatever the doc says fine since it is his liability.

 

[harutaishou]

I wouldn't bring it up. I wouldn't mention it at all. If you have no entity that is credentialing you for injections you really shouldn't be doing them however benign they seem.

Thanks for the insight! I'll probably go with your recommendations.

I work as a scribe at a primary care practice, and I have been giving injections since my second week. I think, technically, you are allowed to do it under the "supervision" of the physician. I know students are not allowed to, but if you are a paid employee, it's okay. Might be different in certain states, though... Idk... I brought it up in my interview as a selling point.
Also, they're just intramuscular injections - pretty hard to mess that up. I'm guessing you're doing things like tetanus vaccinations & flu shots like myself.

You are correct, they were just tetanus vaccinations

 

[Bacchus]

"Just"

 

[StudyLater]

"Just"

Dun dun dun.....

 

[Medgrant]

Sciatic nerve comes to mind...

 

[gothicfoxes]

@harutaishou

http://imr.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/06/11/0300060514531924.full
"Nerve injury is a common complication following intramuscular injection and the sciatic nerve is the most frequently affected nerve[.]"
http://vaccine-safety-training.org/immunization-error-related-reaction.html
http://www.ismp.org/newsletters/acutecare/showarticle.aspx?id=104
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/551320_3

 

[medic86]

Sciatic nerve comes to mind...

The deltoid muscle is a long way from the glutes.

It's not like OP is giving toradol injections.

 

[AvrgPreMedKid]

*Pretty hard to mess up if you know the anatomy of where you're injecting, sure you're not in neurovasculature and are sure the patient isn't going to vasovagal on you.

I guess you need to know where the deltoid is.. lol. Luckily for me, I've always been into lifting weights, and those machines are labeled well.

 

[maxwell_edison]

Stuff like that is up to the physician; he/she is responsible for anything you do.

That being said, it's pretty much the wild west with these, especially flu shots. Drive through pharmacies and the like. The patients may be better off with a nervous pre-med student lol.

One issue is SIRVA, Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration. Likely caused by needle penetrance and vaccine injection into the subacromial bursa, causing inflammation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20955829

 

[kawaiipupae]

I'm also currently working as an unlicensed MA at a community medical center and have received all training while working, including IM injections which are really hard to mess up in the deltoid. If the clinician is not there then we can't even touch patients essentially so you're fine as long as they're supervising.

 

[mikil100]

Some medicines are given IM because they specifically can't be given intravasularly. I would worry if you accidentally get a blood vessel., or nerve.

Obviously simple immunizations are less scary, but if something were to happen, I'm not sure how much there would be to defend you. Physician supervision or not.