National IV Nurse Day and a Reminder of the IV Nurse's Importance

The first National IV Nurse Day took place back in 1981, and since then, the specialty of infusion nursing has grown by leaps and bounds. The topic of this piece is IV Nurse Day and the significance of IV nurses. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

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National IV Nurse Day and a Reminder of the IV Nurse's Importance

As the acuity levels of hospital patients continue to rise to astronomical levels, the importance of IV nurses truly cannot be understated. The role of the IV nurse is immensely important in modern healthcare, especially since an estimated nine out of ten present day hospital inpatients are requiring IV (intravenous) access due to the treatments that have been prescribed to them. Furthermore, because of the robust push for health care reform and cost containment in the United States, an increasing number of infusion services are now being performed in outpatient settings such as clinics, freestanding infusion centers, and patients' private homes.

Also known as an intravenous therapy nurse, infusion nurse or vascular access nurse, an IV nurse is one who administers prescribed medications and fluids via the IV delivery route. Infusion nurses also establish certain IV lines, access ports and central catheters, and maintain them in accordance with predetermined standards of care. In addition, they are often charged with the responsibility of observing and monitoring patients who are the recipients of infusions for side effects, adverse reactions, IV site complications, and the overall response to IV therapy.

Not all IV nurses perform the exact same duties. In fact, many IV nurses work within well defined niches. For instance, some nurses work as part of IV teams at major hospitals for the purposes of starting difficult peripheral IV lines, placing peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and midline catheters, performing venipuncture and blood withdrawal on patients who are enormously difficult to 'stick,' and providing educational and consultative services to the hospital's staff nurses. Other IV nurses work from home-based offices and travel to nursing homes, small specialty hospitals, prison infirmaries, clients' private homes, and other types of settings to insert PICCs, peripheral IV (PIV) lines, and midline catheters.

In addition, some IV nurses are employed at freestanding infusion centers, clinics, doctors offices, outpatient surgical centers, cancer centers, home health agencies and remote specialty pharmacies to establish vascular access, access ports, administer infusions, and monitor patients' responses to IV therapies. Moreover, a number of registered nurses (RNs) are employed at blood bank centers to function as charge nurses, oversee mobile blood donation drives, perform focused physical assessments on potential donors, supervise the phlebotomy technicians and unlicensed assistive staff members, perform the occasional venipuncture or plasma withdrawal from donors, and inform the occasional unapproved donor that they have HIV, hepatitis C positivity, or whatever bloodborne affliction that prevents him or her from donating.

Professional certification is available if IV nurses wish to earn it. The Certified Registered Nurse of Infusion (CRNI) certification is, at the present time, the only nationally accredited certification in existence for infusion nurses. Those who wish to earn the CRNI certification must fulfill the following two requirements in order to attain eligibility to take the credentialing exam:

  • An active, unencumbered registered nurse (RN) license that was issued in the United States or Canada
  • At least 1,600 hours of experience as an infusion nurse that has been accrued within the past two years

Once the aforementioned exam has been passed, the candidate has earned certification as a CRNI and has full rights to utilize the CRNI title for as long as certification is maintained.

Finally, National IV Nurse Day was first brought into existence in late 1980 when the U.S. House of Representatives set aside every January 25 as IV Nurse Day. Thus, National IV Nurse Day was celebrated for the very first time in January 1981 to recognize the importance and achievements of this unique group of nursing professionals.

With a tremendous amount of pleasure and gratitude, the staff behind the scenes at Allnurses.com Inc. wishes all of the infusion nurses out there a very happy National IV Nurse Day 2016. The work you do on a daily basis is of massive significance to the medical community and society as a whole, and we thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. Again, thank you for all that you do for your patients and their families!

References

Fox-Rose, J. (2014). Infusion Nursing: Specialty on the Rise. Healthcare Traveler. Retrieved from Infusion Nursing: Specialty on the Rise | Healthcare Traveler

Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation. (2015). Apply for the CRNI Exam. Retrieved from Apply for the CRNI® Exam - Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation

Stewart, S. (2014). My First "Real" Nursing Job. NurseTogether. Retrieved from My First "Real" Nursing Job

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TheCommuter

About TheCommuter, BSN, RN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN, CRRN is a longtime physical rehabilitation nurse who has varied experiences upon which to draw for her articles. She was an LPN/LVN for more than four years prior to becoming a Registered Nurse.

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This was great. Thank you for your wisdom. Happy IV nurses day!!

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Specializes in Vascular Access.

TY Commuter for acknowledging this specialty. It has been my love since 1990 when I left the hospital, beside setting and went exclusively into an IV therapy position. It is a challenging and yet rewarding specialty, and yes, IV therapy has changed over the years.

In the "early" days, those individuals who needed IV therapy were on their DEATH BED. One did NOT get an IV catheter placed unless you were on your way OUT!... And years ago, in its infancy, only MD's placed IV catheters, with nurses assisting their every need. It wasn't until the world wars when civilian MD's were in short supply did RN's pick up the gauntlet and started performing these activities. As a matter of fact Massachusetts General was the first Hospital to have a designated IV team.

TY for your wonderful article!

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I must appreciate the way you have expressed your feelings through your blog!

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