A practical nurse is preparing to administer an intramuscular (IM) injection using the Z-track method to an adult client. Arrange the following steps for this procedure in the correct chronological order.
- 1Perform hand hygiene and don clean gloves.
- 2Displace the skin and subcutaneous tissue laterally away from the injection site.
- 3Insert the needle quickly and smoothly at a 90-degree angle.
- 4Inject the medication slowly and steadily into the muscle.
- 5Withdraw the needle smoothly and immediately release the displaced skin.
Answer
The correct sequence is to first perform hand hygiene and don gloves, then displace the skin laterally, insert the needle at a 90-degree angle, inject the medication slowly, and finally withdraw the needle while releasing the displaced skin.
The Z-track method is designed to prevent medication from leaking into the subcutaneous tissue. To perform this correctly, infection control (hand hygiene and gloves) is always the first step. Next, the nurse displaces the skin to misalign the tissue layers. While holding the skin displaced, the needle is inserted at 90 degrees to reach the muscle, and the medication is injected. Finally, the needle is withdrawn and the skin is released simultaneously to create a zig-zag track that seals the medication in the muscle.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Z-track intramuscular injection technique