Abstract
Aim. The aim of this descriptive, correlational study was to determine intramuscular
injection sites presently being used by acute care nurses in one Canadian
province and factors that contribute to site selection.
Background. Intramuscular injections are routinely administered by nurses in acute
care settings. Recent nursing literature recommends that the ventrogluteal site,
rather than the dorsogluteal site, should be used for these injections, although
evidence in the literature to support this claim is lacking.
Method. A convenience sample of nurses employed in acute care settings was
accessed through a database at the professional association. Six hundred and fifty-two
nurses were sent a questionnaire. Two hundred and sixty-four questionnaires were
returned giving a response rate of 42Æ2%. Data were collected during 2007.
Findings. Nurses are preferentially using the dorsogluteal site over the ventrogluteal
site, and site selection varied significantly with age, level of preparation, years in
nursing and knowledge of nerve injury as a complication with the selected site.
Conclusions. Nurses are not preferentially using the ventrogluteal site for intramuscular
injections to adults as recommended in recent nursing literature. Additional
research on the safety of a properly mapped dorsogluteal site is needed.
Keywords: dorsogluteal, intramuscular injections, nerve injury, nursing education,
nursing practice, patient safety, ventrogluteal
Introduction
Safe medication