Home Infusion Nursing

BrownLuxe, RN · Sep 3, 2019

I would love to know as well. I'm an ER nurse and I have several coworkers that speak very highly of this specialty.

Infusion50 · Sep 5, 2019

Hi NYRN and BrownLuxe,

I see no one has responded so I will give you my 2cents. I've tried 6 different specialties in my 30+ years as an RN and can tell you that Infusion nursing has been my favorite for many reasons. I wish I had discovered it sooner in my career. But I work in an ambulatory infusion center connected to a teaching hospital where I am also a PICC nurse. I can't speak to home infusion specifically, rather Infusion nursing in general. 1)In ambulatory infusion you rarely work beyond 1630, nor holidays or weekends. 2)The pt population is very pleasant in my experience... even though they are suffering with cancer there is much hope and uplifted spirits. It's not depressing at all (which was my initial worry). That's not to say you don't have heartbreaking experiences as in all nursing specialties. 3)You REALLY get to know and enjoy your patients and their families...and they you. They come to see you as more than just their healthcare provider. You develop friendships( even though some maybe short-lived). Many of my patients have been coming to my infusion center for years for some kind of maintenance therapy. You get to celebrate their many milestones (and sometimes their funerals). 4)Continuity of care!! You see pts VERY regularly and get to know their physical assessments inside and out, and can pick up even subtle changes. This makes for better outcomes. 5) You see direct results of your care. A real ego stroke for what is often a thankless profession. 6) You will become an expert at interpretation of lab values. 7) Theres lots of opportunity to enjoy pharmaceutical rep education about the drugs you are giving...often delivered at a very nice restaurant in a relaxed environment. I have learned TONS at these presentations that carry over into other aspects of care. 8) The ONS is a great resource. Be sure to join your local chapter. 9)The advances in oncology care is astounding and fascinating to learn about. 10) There is lots of opportunity to treat conditions other than cancer as well( i.e.IVIG, long term antibiotics, hydration, Rheumatology, phlebotomy, iron infusions). 11) I learned another subspecialty because of my infusion nurse status as well. I was trained to insert PICC lines which I find fun and challenging. Some of my colleagues branched off into Research Nursing as well. Best of all, you don't need to be a BSN for these fields.

All of these pluses apply to home infusion as well ( with the exception of weekend call). Good luck and let me know how it's going.

BrownLuxe, RN · Sep 5, 2019

Thank you so much Infusion50 for your detailed response. From your enticing description, I think that I will go ahead and give it a try. It would be a great addition to my ER skillset.

nyrnjb81119 · Sep 6, 2019

All I can say Infusion50 is Thank you for your response!! It is very detailed and it makes me feel so much better as I venture off into this new speciality. I will definitely keep you updated ???

thecareerchanger, BSN · Oct 9, 2019

I am a still new RN currently working in med surg and recently got hired to work at an infusion clinic per diem (rheumatology). I am not proficient in IV insertion so I was unsure about the position at first but I was assured that it wasn't a big issue and I would learn. I feel so much better hearing Infusion50's experience and hope to eventually do infusion fill time and leave hospital bedside.

Infusion50 · Nov 10, 2019

It's been a while. Just wondering how you folks are doing in your new roles?

thecareerchanger, BSN · Nov 11, 2019

Hi Infusion50!

Its only been a few weeks but so far it's good. My IV skills has definitely improved as well! It is very different than acute care and I like it. We do not work holidays, we only work one weekend day per month and although there are late hours we leave on time! It gets busy but not overwhelming and even though I am still a relatively new RN (a little less than a year) I feel infusion (or ambulatory care in general) is a better fit for me personally and career wise. I hope with time I can do infusion full time (possibly oncology) and leave acute care. Thanks again!

Infusion50 · Nov 11, 2019

I am so glad to hear that! And please don't stress about your skill level. ALL OF IT will come in time. Be confident in yourself enough in understanding that you at least know when to ask questions and get clarifications. No one expects you to be an expert at this point. The expectation is competence. Then comes proficiency with mastery shortly thereafter. Good luck sister nurse!

Dman90 · Dec 27, 2019

Hey there,

I can also provide you with some insight into the field of homecare infusion. I originally worked in critical care, but eventually left once I realized that the hospital is not the place for me- at least not full time. I was tired of admin, working holidays/ weekends, dealing w/ some nasty staff members, etc. I am currently a field nurse doing home IV infusions. My company covers a wide variety of infusions including but not limited to immunosuppressants/ Immune modulators, inotropes, chemo, hydration, venofer, enzyme replacement, lipids, antibiotics/antivirals, TPN/PN, antiemetics, and some other alternative off label therapies. I love my job for so many reasons. The job hours are flexible, I make my own schedule, I work w/ patients of all ages (but not required to work with peds if I don’t want), no admin up my behind every two seconds, I work independently, I don’t work most holidays, off weekends, make more money ultimately b/c I get a lot of overtime since roughly 1/3 of my time is for travel and paid for including miles. Every day is different- I might be infusing a patient, accessing a port, removing a picc, changing a picc dressing, starting a PIV or admitting a patient on service and training them and/or family how to infuse themselves. I mostly infuse in the home but sometimes infuse at infusion centers which changes things up. It’s also great if you plan to go back to school for NP. I usually study while I’m doing long infusions. I’m also a triage nurse w/ the company where I answer phone calls after hours and troubleshoot patient issues and/or send out on call nurses if necessary. Another great aspect of the job is the relationships you build with your patients. I never realized I would care about that until I entered this specialty. You have a lot more time to get to know your patients and build that therapeutic relationship which definitely goes a long way. I would highly recommend this job to nurses looking for side work or have completed time on the floors. Probably not as ideal for newer nurses b/c you really want that med surg experience before you work by yourself, especially w/ emergencies. Plus you’ll learn more in the hospital.

scribblz, BSN, CNA, LPN · Jan 17, 2020

This is a great thread!

I started home infusion nursing a couple months ago after a few years med surg (which is still my primary job). Gaining IV skills has been very challenging as my hospital prefers the IV team start the lines (with the exception of the ED, ICU, OR). I've had to basically convince my manager to allow it and then befriend the whole night shift IV team to get the limited skills I have.

But you do what you have to do...

I also love the 1:1 of home infusion nursing even though I still find it intimidating!

sameasalways, ASN, RN · May 7, 2020

Hi, I did infusions for almost 3 years at a rheumatology clinic and loved it. I am considering applying for home infusion nurse in Spokane WA and am not sure what I should ask for with pay.

It says they pay travel time and 0.58 cents per gallon or the use of company car. Has anyone done this and what would be fair pay?

Thanks!