Hi - I am currently precepting a couple pharmacy students. One of them has extremely poor skills as well as confidence regarding giving immunizations. He definitely needs more practice before I'd feel comfortable letting him immunize patients. I am willing to let him give me a flu shot, but I want him to practice with something else first. What kind of solution is used for practice injections? Saline? And where would I get it from? I'm assuming the 0.9%? We somehow ended up with some extra vials of diluent vials from other vaccines, but it just says it is sterile water. Probably not best to use that? Thanks for any advice.
Practice injections
- Thread starter pharaday
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Just fail them all. We don't need any more pharmacists. You're probably doing them a favor this way.
I hear you, Marzapan. But don't worry, I don't think this one will ever be a pharmacist. Giving immunizations is definitely not his only weak point. I honestly don't know how he made it this far. But for the sake of doing my job in getting him to do at least some immunizations, can anyone confirm if 0.9% saline would be the right solution to use?
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May be fun to use a blow up doll?
Yes or you can have him use an orange + water
owlegrad
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Does no one see the irony of this post? Surely I cannot be the only one?
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The irony of a preceptor that does not have the clinical expertise to know if it is safe to inject a minuscule amount of NS into the muscle and generally not acting in confidence about what they are doing while in turn saying that a pharmacy student is not going to make the cut..
Or - just to boil it down, this preceptor seems just as unsure and lacking the confidence needed in the same way this student is...
To the op - I’m sure everyone here, can say that injecting 0.1ml of NS into the muscle once or twice is not harmful at all. However, no one want to answer your question because no one wants to be part of something that may not be thought out very well
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Reverse psychology.
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it's probably the student posting and requesting for help while pretending to be a pharmacist
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it's probably the student posting and requesting for help while pretending to be a pharmacist
I thought the same thing until i saw the 10+ year member
Not that it is anyone's business, but I have been out of work for a long time due to cancer treatment and I just recently returned. Also, I have never precepted students before. I am only filling in because the manager is on leave.
It would have been nice if someone could have just answered a simple question. I am sure 0.9% saline is fine to use, however in the interest of safety, I wanted to be certain before agreeing to be injected with something! I obviously came to the wrong place for support though. Now I remember why I quit visiting this site a long time ago. Still full of arrogant bullies.
It would have been nice if someone could have just answered a simple question. I am sure 0.9% saline is fine to use, however in the interest of safety, I wanted to be certain before agreeing to be injected with something! I obviously came to the wrong place for support though. Now I remember why I quit visiting this site a long time ago. Still full of arrogant bullies.
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When we were in school we used 0.9% saline on each other for practice. Just draw up 0.9% saline~0.5mls and have him stab you a few times.
Why would you even trust an online forum with information regarding what's safe to inject into you?
Speaking of arrogant bullies... didn't you say this?
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Just do everyone here a favor and fail him; got to draw the line in the sand somewhere
Kind of tired/fed up with having to work with these quality of RPh
Kind of tired/fed up with having to work with these quality of RPh
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When I tested out it was indeed the 0.9% saline at half a ml. For those needing more practice it was a hand-grip foam pad + water with 1 ml. For those who really needed practice faculty just wrangled up some students and had them all get stuck like a pin cushion until the student passed.
If he's really that bad I'm sure he could bring whatever pad he practiced on from his program and show you what he can/cannot do (sad though if he really has to do that). I imagine its just the pressure of actually sticking a person for the first time outside of a classroom setting. Or... they're that terrible who knows.
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Short of developing syncope I do not see how anyone can be “bad” at sticking someone with a needle. Try not to miss, try not to hit the bone, and maybe try not to stick yourself with the needle. For gods sake do NOT recap the needle, just toss it in the sharps container. There is literally nothing to it. The needle does most of the work.
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Haha Owle - there are certainly ways to be “bad” at giving shots.
I once saw someone stick the needle a little too hard and she hit the bone. Upon hitting bone she gasped in horror and let the needle go. The needle stayed in there for about 3 seconds before dislodging and falling to the floor. The pharmacist was super lucky it did not pierce her leg in the fall.
There is a technique to not overdoing the needle entry also. It needs to be a swift consistent movement. Jabbing too hard can cause pain.
Oh and one time I saw a nurse get frustrated with some invega sustena (spelling?) because it was not plunging correctly. The nurse pulled out the needle complaining it was not depressing and then to show everyone in the room she depressed it super hard and sprayed bloodied invega sustena all over the wall and ceiling.
It’s an issue of anxiety in general.
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Have him practice on an orange or a firm tomato.
I find it's easier for me to give vaccinations to other people than it is to give myself a damn B12 shot.
IMO, you wanna use a continuous motion, have him grip the syringe firmly (but not squeezing it) and then just flick his wrist to puncture and then depress plunger.
I find it's easier for me to give vaccinations to other people than it is to give myself a damn B12 shot.
IMO, you wanna use a continuous motion, have him grip the syringe firmly (but not squeezing it) and then just flick his wrist to puncture and then depress plunger.
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Along with everyone else, I vote for having him practice on oranges. But yes, if you want him to give a placebo shot, 0.9% saline would be what is used.
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