National IV Nurse Day recognizes the accomplishments and the importance of Infusion Nurses, and the Infusion Nurses Society. January this year marks the 30th anniversary of National IV Nurse Day.
It’s About Us. It’s About Infusion.
An IV nurse, or certified infusion nurse, specializes in intravenous (IV) therapy.- An IV nurse has an RN license and usually has a formal infusion certification through a CNRI (certified registered nurse infusion) program as well.
While infusion nurses can specialize in different types of medicine, such as oncology, they will often perform:
Blood transfusions
- Chemotherapy infusions
- Antibiotic infusions
- Steroid infusions
- Electrolyte infusions
- Vitamin infusions
In addition, infusion nurses perform a number of other tasks, including but not limited to:
- Inserting and maintaining PICCs
- Inserting intravenous access
- Reviewing lab values and drug information prior to administering care
- Monitoring a patient’s response to treatment, including monitoring for infections
- Developing patient care plans
- Performing patient care and patient assessments
The Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital (MFSH) Infusion Clinic and the Spindrift Infusion Clinic are outpatient clinics that offer a wide array of infusions for patients in need.
"At MFSH Infusion, we focus on mostly non-chemotherapy infusions which include irons, hydrations and monoclonal antibodies, as well as blood product transfusions for oncology patients from GPPC," said Nicholas Grasela, BSN, RN, nurse manager for oncology and infusion services at MFSH. "There are a total of six chairs in the clinic which is staffed by two nurses and a PRR. Our typical daily volume ranges from 6 to10 patients."
The Spindrift Infusion Clinic performs both chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy infusions for patients from GPPC Oncology, which is located on the first floor of the building. "We typically see an average of 43 patients per day," said Grasela.
In 2023, the clinic treated a total of 10,465 patients, 815 of whom were new patients. Typical staffing includes a charge nurse and seven floor nurses, one PCA and two PRRs who manage the front desk.
"The nursing staff provides a caring, nurturing environment for patient care as well as being compassionate and empathetic towards the physical and emotional needs of the patients and family," Grasela said.
Celebrating IV Nurse Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the evolution of the specialty and the significant contributions that infusion nurses make in our patients' lives.