In Honor of Nurses Week

In honor of Nurses Week we wanted to share this article which we think captures the caring and devotion of the nursing profession.

Thanks to all the nurses out there for all you do!

The article care be found here.

Avoiding Nerves During Venipuncture

It is important to avoid nerves while performing venipuncture. Knowing where they are located and how they differ from the vasculature can assist a clinician in identifying and avoiding nerves while performing venipuncture. Two nerves that are located in common areas for venipuncture are the radial and median nerves. “The radial nerve passes along the…

Intravenous Solution Shortage

You wouldn’t expect that the national crisis with “drug shortages” would include  large volume (1000mL) IV solutions commonly administered to patients, but there actually is such a shortage.   IV saline solution in particular is on the list of national drug shortages and the shortage is not expected to resolve until May or June this…

Vein Visualization Recommended to Improve Safety Practices

Recently the Infusion Nurses Society convened a task force of infusion therapy experts to develop recommendations to improve health care practitioner and patient safety. The findings of this task force includes their recommendation to, “Incorporate vein visualization technology as a routine strategy for patients with poor or difficult venous access.”  They go on to state…

Rare Bacteria Outbreak at Outpatient Oncology Facility

Infection control today reported that a recent outbreak of a rare bacteria was tied to a lapse in infection control procedures. There was an outbreak of Tsukamurella blood stream infections, which is caused by Gram-positive bacteria and rarely effects humans. The outbreak was linked to the improper handling of saline at a West Virginia outpatient…

Fear of Needles is a Common Phobia

When researching fear of needles we find that not only do approximately 20 percent of the general population have some degree of fear associated with needles and injections, but that it’s such a widespread fear that we’ve come across these six medical terms that are related to this fear: ·   Aichmophobia: an intense or morbid fear…

Blood Exposure

Many jobs have occupational hazards but being a nurse is one occupation that carries the possibility of blood exposure or exposure to other bodily fluids.  One of the many reasons that nursing is not for the faint of heart.  With roughly 385,000 annual needle stick sharps injuries in the United States it is possible that…

Re-siting PIVs – based on time or indications?

Many facilities have policies requiring clinicians to remove and re-site a Peripheral IV within a given period of time.  As a clinician, have you ever wondered if this is actually helps the patient avoid complications? The CDC’s Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter related Infections indicates that: 1. There is no need to replace…

Should Infusion Teams be part of Acute Care Hospitals?

Infusion therapy is invasive and touches virtually all patients entering the hospital.  Given its importance, the current rates of infusion therapy complications, as well as the costs and the waste associated with it, a thorough assessment should be made of a facility’s’ outcomes related to infusion services.  This is the opinion expressed in an Infusion…

Apply Dry Or Wet Heat To Increase Palpability?

When you have a patient whose veins are not particularly palpable, sometimes it is a good idea to apply heat to the area which will increase blood flow and make the veins juicier.  So would you typically reach for a warm wet rag or a dry heat source? There is a study that shows “dry…