I'll be starting injections and blood draws next month. Our IM module includes a minimum of giving and receiving two deltoid injections PER DAY and several gluteal and vastus lateralis injections during the month.

I'm not a fan of needles, but will be okay with the delts, and maybe even the VL sites, but I am absolutely confused and worried about MA's being taught to stick someone's dorsal glute, and I sure as hell am not going to allow myself to be poked there. I will no doubt put my 4.0 on the line but there's NO WAY I'm going to flirt with permanent or semi-permanent sciatica nerve damage at the hands of a shakey MA student (including myself; keeping it real, here).

Dorsal Glute times six or eight during the mod? Not just no but HELL no.

BTW, I googled this subject and wandered over to AllNurses .com and read about the subject: three things stood out glaringly: 1) nurses hate MA's; 2) they agree overall that the practice of dorsal gluteal injections is universally discouraged any more due to risk of sciatic nerve damage; they use the site only as a measure of last resort. Most of them had never given a DG injection. 3) Most of the nurses on Allnurses did NOT practice injections on themselves in school.

Any one else wanna chime in on this? I really don't want to throw away my outstanding performance record at school but absolutely will not give or receive glute shots, and I'd love some back up.

Are You Still In School? yes

Are You Working? no

Hi there, This is a good point you brought up. A lot of schools are doing away with that practice for the simple reason a lot of students don't know their anatomy very well. So I don't blame you for feeling this way. When I was going to school to be a MA I would study my classmates. I knew what they could do and not do. I was a Medic in the ARMY and so I learned the proper way to give injections, and if I didn't trust a person than they would not give any one any injections. My instructor knew what I was talking about, and that I knew my stuff. Good luck with your classes.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: NCMA, (NCCT), AAS

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes

"A lot of schools are doing away with that practice for the simple reason a lot of students don't know their anatomy very well. "

first of all i blame the the school if a student doesn't know their anatomy well enough to give an injection.that's just shoty training.
next i wouldn't want anyone not trained to give injection to give me one. they could cause more injuries than some-one who has been train. THINK ABOUT IT ..IT'S YOUR BODY!

i think (imo) if the school isn't training ma to give injection they must have had a problem or legal issues in the past.
the untrained ma who does give injection without the proper training can be open to legal action,if they cause any injuries or nerve damage,for themselves and the doctor they work for, since the doctor, is covering them under his license,

there's like getting practice to gain experience and build up one's confidence.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RMA-LPN

Are You Working? NO

When I went to medical assisting school 9 years ago they taught us to inject in the Glut. In nursing school they taught us to NEVER inject in the glut because of the siatic nerve. If your school is teaching you to inject in the glut then they are not teaching you what is up to date. I would be worried. You should bring this to the teachers attention. If you need quotes from texts let me know.

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RN-BSN, PHN, CCMA-C

Are You Working? Yes

We practiced SubQ, IM, intradermal injections all throughout my schooling. We practiced on fake arms (deltoid and intradermal) at first and always on dummies gluteal(IM, Ztrack).

Your Professional Title/Credentials: RMA

Are You Still In School? No

Are You Working? Yes