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Giving Yourself an Insulin Shot: Step-by-Step

  • Hands scrubbing with soap under faucet with running water.

    1. Wash your hands.

  • Hand holding insulin bottle with arrow pointing to expiration date.

    2. Check the expiration date.

  • One hand holding insulin bottle and other hand taking cap off.

    3. Remove the cap.

  • One hand holding insulin bottle and other hand cleaning top of bottle with alcohol wipe.

    4. Clean the top with an alcohol wipe.

  • One hand holding syringe and other hand removing cap from needle on syringe.

    5. Remove the needle cap.

  • One hand holding syringe with needle facing up and other hand pulling down on plunger.

    6. Pull the plunger to the amount of insulin needed.

  • One hand holding insulin bottle and other hand holding syringe, with needle of syringe in top of insulin bottle.

    7. Insert the needle into the bottle.

  • Hand pushing plunger to push needle down into insulin bottle.

    8. Push the plunger down.

  • One hand holding insulin bottle upside down and other hand holding plunger.

    9. Flip the bottle.

  • Hand on plunger pulling it down.

    10. Pull the plunger to the amount of insulin needed.

  • With insulin bottle removed and needle filled with insulin and still pointing up, finger flicking syringe.

    11. Flick the syringe to bring air bubbles up.

  • One hand holding syringe with needle pointing up and other hand pushing plunger with drop of insulin coming out from needle.

    12. Push the plunger a little to remove air bubbles.

  • Hand using alcohol wipe to clean skin.

    13. Clean the skin with an alcohol wipe.

  • Thumb and index finger pinching skin, with other hand holding syringe at 90 degree angle to skin.

    14. Pinch the skin with the thumb and index finger.

  • Thumb and index finger pinching skin, with other hand pressing syringe needle into skin.

    15. Push the needle into the pinched skin.

  • Thumb and index finger pinching skin, with other hand holding syringe needle into skin and pushing plunger of syringe down.

    16. Push the plunger all the way down.

  • Thumb and index finger letting go of skin and other hand pulling syringe needle straight up from skin.

    17. Pull the needle straight out.

  • Hand placing used syringe into sharps container.

    18. Place the used syringe in a sharps container.

  • Hands scrubbing with soap under faucet with running water.

    19. Wash your hands.

Online Medical Reviewer: Marianne Fraser MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Raymond Kent Turley BSN MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer: Robert Hurd MD
Date Last Reviewed: 12/1/2021
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