Pediatric Subcutaneous Injections: A Teaching Tool for Nurses & Educational Booklet for Families (2012)

Undergraduates: Lisa Skiver, none none none

Faculty Advisor: Diane Yorke
Department: Nursing

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Subcutaneous injection medication is being prescribed more frequently in the pediatric population and many chronically ill children are being discharged with subcutaneous injections to be given at home by parents and caregivers. Although existing literature does give some instruction for the injection procedure in the health care setting, a thorough review revealed that there has been neither research regarding parents who have to inject their children nor any standardized instruction available for parents of children being discharged with home injections. During this difficult time, parental boundaries are often changed and tested as a new and unfamiliar skill has to be learned and performed effectively in order to make or keep their child well (Sullivan-Bulyai et al, 2003). The purpose of this project was to develop an educational teaching tool for parents of children being discharged with subcutaneous injection medication. It is intended to be used by nurses in the hospital to effectively teach parents how to inject their child and then be taken home by the family as a reference guide after discharge. Research has shown that when parents have sufficient and quality information, they cope better, therefore resulting in better learning and consequently better outcomes once home with their child's injection medications (Davies & Hall, 2005; Kelly & Porock, 2005; Starke & Moller, 2002). This teaching tool may be used to facilitate caregiver confidence during the learning process in the hospital as well as at home with their child and his or her new medication.