Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs) can be inserted by qualified registered nurses and since PICCs are central lines, the distal tip placement must be verified by chest x-ray and read by a physician prior to its use. Qualified RN’s have been placing PICCs since the early 80’s. Recently in certain parts of the country, their…
A nurse colleague on twitter asked me for tips on starting IV’s in pudgy toddlers. This tweet was followed by another, stating “I have trouble with pudgy at any age”. Yes, I agree. Even to the most experience infusion nurse, pudgy is always a challenge and usually means no chance of finding veins or easy…
On August 13th, the New York State Hospital Review and Planning Council adopted a regulation recommended by the New York State Health Department making approved annual influenza vaccinations mandatory, unless medically contraindicated, for health care workers in hospitals, outpatient clinics and home care services. Legislation applying the same standards to nursing home workers has also…
For as long as I have been an infusion nurse, I have always used heat to help me find a suitable vein for peripheral venipuncture. The application of heat to the patient’s skin during vein assessment has been very helpful in my practice and prior to insertion has contributed to my “one stick” success. As…
IO as in intraosseous access. An old concept that is now getting more attention as an alternate access for infusion therapy in emergent and non-emergent situations. IO access uses the intraosseous space that contains thousands of non-collapsible intertwined blood vessels that absorbs any fluids. In situations where the peripheral vascular system shuts down, the IO…
One of the news updates I read this morning had this headline: “NJ: 29 hepatitis cases tied to one doctor’s office”. I have seen similar headlines in the past, but this one happened in a physician based oncology clinic where chemotherapy is administered each day. As an infusion nurse and one who administers infusions and…
Over the past few months, I have received numerous calls from new RN colleagues wanting to attend our infusion training programs so they can get a job. As more calls come in, one thing became obvious, the new RN’s don’t get hired because they lack the clinical experience and in most cases, don’t have the…
What am I talking about? I am referring to a very difficult and controversial topic in infusion therapy, the use of medical assistants (MA) in peripheral intravenous insertion and administration (infusion) of medications. Before I continue, I would like to disclose that I have nothing against medical assistants and this discussion does not include nursing …
Why not? If you are reading this and wondering what is Twitter, I would refer you to this video. If you watched the video, I’m sure you’re thinking, ok, this works for celebrities like Oprah and Ellen. Perhaps it will work for my personal social life. But what can Twitter do for someone like an…
During my training classes on biologic infusions, one of the frequently asked questions is…do you use one bag or two bags when you infuse a biologic agent? 2 bags: After an IV access is established, most nurses directly connect a primed IV tubing (usually with Normal Saline) to the IV catheter. This is considered the…
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