Back to Basics: Administering IM Injections the Right Way

Do you remember the first time you gave a patient a shot? Were you nervous and hesitant? Administering medications by intramuscular (IM) injection is often the first invasive skill that nursing students learn. What many of us don't recall, however, is that even this most basic skill has a solid research base. Researchers have studied IM sites, syringes, needles, and medication volumes. They've also studied interventions that can reduce pain and discomfort. We asked over 200 nurses if they were aware of this research base. Most said they were not. Frankly, neither were we. So we decided to explore the literature, going back to the 1920s. We found over 90 studies related to IM injections. Using this literature and research base, we developed the following protocol for IM injections.