Why is it that patients, as well as others who work in our industry, even doctors and nurses, think that infusion nurses do the same job as phlebotomists? Is it because both do venipunctures? Such sterotype and it’s time to stop thinking they are even remotely similar. 1. An infusion nurse (aka IV nurse) is not…
On October 1, 2015, one of the biggest events that hit healthcare data in decades was the conversion of coded clinical data to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: Tenth Revision, commonly referred to as ICD-10. Q: What happened to ICD 9? A:In 1983, Medicare implemented ICD-9 as part of the…
Oh my, has it been 6 years? I am sincerely grateful and humbled as our readers and site visit numbers continue to grow each year. Thank you so much for your support!! As I do each year, here are the top six most read posts this year: Click on the link for the post. 1. “Is there a…
Greetings my dear colleagues!! I recently recorded a short podcast with the Infusion Nurses Society and is now available on line. Hope you’ll find a few minutes to listen in. Thanks! Recommendations for Improving Safety Practices with Short Peripheral Catheters Despite the frequent use of short peripheral catheters (SPCs) in all health care settings, education…
As we celebrate the holiday season, I would like to take a moment to thank all of the followers and readers that have supported the infusionnurse blog. I truly appreciate your continued support. Wishing you peace, joy, and happiness during this festive season. Happy Holidays to You and Yours! Oh, if you’d like to track…
So true, and as the author of this blog, I would like to thank each of you for reading and supporting this blog. I hope I have provided you with good, relevant and practical information you can use in your daily practice. Thank you to each of you for your comments and posts. I am…
I recently had the honor of participating in the RNFM Radio Infusion Nursing Roundtable with my colleagues, Ann Earhart, current INS president; Jim Lacy, current AVA president; and Sharon Weinstein, a past president of INS and past Chair of Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC). For nurses interested in this growing area of specialty practice, this…
….as in positive blood return when aspirating from central venous catheters (CVC). Positive blood return means a free flowing blood return easily obtained on aspiration, and the color of whole blood. In other words, bloody RED, not pink-tinged. What a great feeling, knowing that the CVC is properly functioning and ready to use. NOT able to…
I’ve had conversations with several RN colleagues that left me saying, are you serious? I hesitated writing about this but I thought I’d share so we can all learn and avoid doing the same. 1. Whatever happened to those “multi-use” syringes? That’s crazy that I can’t reuse syringes when I’m just drawing up medication for…
This is an updated version of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) hazardous drugs list. So what’s new in this current update? The text for the update to the 2014 list was updated and expanded to reflect the complexity of safe handling issues that have arisen over the past few years. This…
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