How to give an intramuscular injection
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
The site and the needle length decide if the drug reaches the muscle. The ventrogluteal site is preferred for most adults because it is away from major nerves and vessels.
Step by step
Check the rights
Right patient, drug, dose, route, time and documentation, and check allergies. [1]
Prepare
Clean your hands, introduce yourself, confirm two identifiers, explain and get consent. [1]
Choose the site
Ventrogluteal: palm on the hip bone, index finger to the front of the pelvis, middle finger spread back; inject in the V. Deltoid: small volumes, about three finger widths below the shoulder bone. Vastus lateralis: outer middle thigh. [1]
Choose the needle
Usually 1 to 1.5 inches for adults, based on the site and body size. [1]
Clean and Z-track
Gloves on, clean the skin and let it dry. Pull the skin about 1 inch to the side and hold it. [1]
Inject
Insert at 90 degrees with a quick dart, inject slowly (about 10 seconds per mL), wait 10 seconds, then withdraw and release the skin. [1]
After
Safety device on, no recapping, sharps container. Light pressure with gauze, do not massage. Document and watch for reactions. [1]
Common errors
- Using the dorsogluteal (upper outer buttock) site: risk to the sciatic nerve.
- Massaging the site after a Z-track injection.
- Too large a volume in the deltoid.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College), licensed under CC BY 4.0. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.