In June of 2013, I was honored to chair a national task force for the Infusion Nurses Society’s (INS) project on Short Peripheral Catheter Safety (SPC). Along with five other colleagues, we embarked on a task to identify the safety and practice issues and look at ways to promote safety in the insertion and management…
We’re 10 days into 2014, is it still the New Year? Oh well, there’s still time to say hello to 2014! I can’t move forward without looking back to 2013. It was a great and challenging year not only for this blog but for healthcare in general. In 2013, this blog turned four years old…
Q: Do you have any tips on how to improve my IV insertion skills? A: This is one of the FAQ and often comes from new blog readers. I have blogged about this many times before but I thought I’d post it again. To some of my long time readers, this may not be new…
Q: I know not to but reality is, many nurses use the AC (antecubital fossa) to start and dwell a peripheral IV. It is the easiest place to find a vein so why not use it? A: The antecubital fossa is in front of the elbow, bounded laterally and medially by the humeral origins of…
Q: Can medical assistants in office based infusion settings insert peripheral IVs and administer IV medications? A: This is a question I get weekly. I have posted a previous blog about this topic and replied privately to individuals asking the question. But I think it’s time to post my response again: Medical assistants (MAs)as defined…
Today is Independence Day. Happy 4th of July to those in the United States of America. As a citizen and a registered nurse practicing in the US, I am always grateful for the freedom and liberty we enjoy in our country. We are able to carry out functions and tasks related to assessment and placement of…
The practice criteria in the INS standard 35 on vascular access site preparation and device placement states: “No more than 2 attempts at vascular access placement should be made by any 1 nurse, as multiple unsuccessful attempts limit future vascular access, and cause patients unnecessary pain. Patients with difficult vascular access require a careful assessment…
My sincerest thanks to everyone who took the survey on short peripheral IV posted on June 3, 2013. You were very gracious in responding and we sincerely appreciate your feedback. If you haven’t yet but would like to take the survey, there is still time. Click here to take the survey! Again, thank you so much!
If you are a registered nurse inserting short peripheral IVs , would you be interested in answering a short survey on peripheral IVs? The survey is open to registered nurses, whether you are part of an IVteam/PICC/Vascular access team or not, and actively inserting short peripheral IVs in all healthcare settings. The survey results will be integrated in…
This is the part of the INS Annual meeting that I always look forward to. I am very grateful to all the vendors who were there whether they had something new to show or not because their products contribute greatly to patient care and safety. Their willingness to educate nurses is always appreciated. Just like…
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