Infusion Nurses Keep Patients Safer, Help Reduce Healthcare Costs

Nearly everyone who is admitted to a hospital has an IV inserted. If you're on the receiving end of an IV catheter, you know you want an expert who can get it right the first time. Nurses who specialize in infusion therapy, and in particular credentialed nurses (Certified Registered Nurse Infusion CRNI), are the healthcare professionals who provide the correct dose of medication and keep patients safe from catheter-related bloodstream infections.

Reducing the number of hospital-acquired infections is now a priority for hospitals since the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stopped reimbursing hospitals for any infections that patients acquired after admission. Thus the need for expert infusion therapy nurses is greater than ever.

On Jan. 25, infusion nurses and other healthcare professionals will observe National IV Nurse Day. In 1980, the US House of Representatives designated this day each year to honor and recognize the accomplishments of the nation's infusion nurse specialists, as well as the Infusion Nurses Society (INS). INS CEO Mary Alexander, MA, RN, CRNI, CAE, FAAN, noted that "due to their skill, expertise and competence, infusion nurses make a positive impact on the delivery of patient care. IV Nurse Day gives us the opportunity to recognize the significant contributions that infusion nurses make in their patients' lives."

This year's theme, "IV Nurses Partners in Improving Healthcare," says it all. IV Nurse Day promotes the advancement of the specialty and simultaneously recognizes more than three decades of continuing education, advocacy, and professional development offered by the infusion nursing community.

The Infusion Nurses Society (INS) is a professional association dedicated to enhancing infusion practices that will improve patient outcomes. Recognized as the global authority in infusion therapy, INS is dedicated to exceeding the public's expectations of excellence by setting the standard for infusion care.