Vein Palpation: gloves vs no gloves – Take a poll

This is one of the frequent question I get when I am teaching a peripheral IV class. Of course, I have an answer (and opinion – no surprise there..:-) ) but before I share mine, please take this very short poll and let me know what you do or what you think.   The poll…

INS 2012: Exhibit Hall Experience

At each INS Annual Meeting, I am always looking forward to the exhibit hall. The exhibit hall was huge and to see every booths and exhibits, one needs a strategy to get through without missing any booth or presentation. My strategy is simple and that is…. to go down the numbered aisles and look around…

INS 2012: A Vegas Experience

I am back (and survived) after a long week in Vegas attending the INS 2012 annual meeting.  Although it was exhausting, one can’t say they didn’t learn anything, The week was packed with educational sessions that focused on may different core aspects of infusion nursing. There was something for everyone who attended – from first time…

May 6 – Happy Nurses Day!

Today, we celebrate National Nurses Day to honor the 3.1 million registered nurses in the United States. According to the American Nurses Association: There are 2.6 million licensed registered nurses employed in nursing 62.2% of  employed RNs work in hospitals The average age of employed RNs is 45.5 years 45% of RNs are age 50…

April 28 – National Take Back Day

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous 3 events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those…

Infection from an IV catheter…

can lead to a lawsuit!! Yes, according to a news article, a medical malpractice lawsuit filed late last month accuses nurses and health care providers of negligence by giving the patient “an IV tainted with streptococcus pyogenes” — bacteria commonly associated with strep throat. Click here for more info. The harm – following the removal of…

IV hydration – a cure all?

As nurses and healthcare providers, we have seen the dramatic effects of infusing IV fluids to patients who are dehydrated, needing fluid replacement/supplement or those with symptoms resulting in electrolyte imbalance, and other cases when taking oral intake of foods/fluids is not enough, and the list goes on…. Now that list includes…HANGOVER! The movie? Well,…

Cheaper at the Doctor’s Office

I came across this interesting article on a study that shows chemo costs less in doctor’s offices. Chemotherapy Treatment in Hospitals Costs 24% more than Treatment in Physician’s Offices The study found that care for patients treated in a physician’s office is less expensive regardless of the length of the chemotherapy duration. The average chemotherapy…

Wouldn’t it be nice….

..if we see veins like we had X-ray vision and insert IV catheters with one stick in patients with difficult to find veins?? Well, now there are several devices that can make the “venipuncture” experience much more tolerable, improves patient satisfaction and eliminates sticking patient’s veins blindly. They are called “vein-detecting” devices that use different types of technology and…