The effect of training about intramuscular injection to the ventrogluteal site on nurses' knowledge, view and status of preferring the application

The injection site used for intramuscular (IM) injection is the most important determinant of complications. Most of the nurses prefer the dorsogluteal (DG) site for IM injection and find it safe. However, the ventrogluteal (VG) site for IM injection is more advantageous for several aspects. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of the training about the injection application to the VG site on the nurses' knowledge, view and status of preferring the application. The study was conducted with pretest-posttest single-group quasi-experimental design. Ethics committee approval, institutional permission, and nurses' participation consents were obtained for the study. The data of the study were collected in the adult emergency room of Hacettepe University Hospital between May-August 2021. The study included 30 nurses who were working in the emergency room and agreed to participate in the study. The data were gathered using the "Descriptive Characteristics Form", "Evaluation Form for the Use of Ventrogluteal Site", "Interview Form for Ventrogluteal Site", "Information Form for Ventrogluteal Site", "Post-Training Evaluation Form for Ventrogluteal Site". The data were analyzed by using number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Friedman test, Shapiro – Wilk test, Wilcoxon test, McNemar test and Mann Whitney-U test. As a result of the study, it was found that while the views of 86,7% (n=26) of the nurses about the VG site changed positively after the training, the mean score of the VG site was 14,80 + 3,09 before the training, 18,50 + 1,68 after the training (p<0,001), 7 of 16 nurses who had not applied injection VG site before the training started to apply injection VG site. Consequently, it was determined that the training about IM injection to the VG site was significantly effective in increasing the level of knowledge of the nurses, their views about the VG site changed positively at a high rate, and even though their status of preferring the application was not at significant level, they made the injection application to the VG site. It is recommended to repeat regularly the training on the VG site for nurses and assess their skills.