Learning Center

All infusion reactions involve the immune system; however, some (anaphylactic) are allergic in nature whereas others (anaphylactoid) are not true allergic reactions. Although reactions can be allergic or nonallergic, the clinical manifestations are the same and require prompt, accurate assessment and management to avoid severe adverse events, including fatality. Content in this session addresses the nurses' role in patient risk assessment, institution of prophylactic measures, administration monitoring, severity grading, management, and follow-up care.

Mary Alexander, MA, RN, CRNI®, CAE, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer, Infusion Nurses Society (INS)

Wendy Vogel, MSN, FNP, AOCNP®, Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology

For some patients, maintaining skin integrity is challenging. Many patients receiving infusion therapy have multiple comorbidities, including renal impairment, nutritional deficiencies, hematologic disorders, or cancer. These conditions can impair the skin surrounding the vascular access device (VAD) insertion site, which is vulnerable to being further injured or damaged during VAD insertion, care, and dressing changes. Skin injuries, such as medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSI), allergic and contact dermatitis and pressure injuries, often result. Each skin injury increases the risk for infection. In this session, attendees will learn how to identify VAD-associated skin injuries, their prevalence and risk factors, and strategies to ensure the prevention and treatment of these conditions, across dressing selection, application and much more.

Amanda Ullman, PhD, RN, , 

The inadvertent administration of a solution, nonvesicant (infiltration) or vesicant (extravasation), into surrounding tissue can cause significant patient harm. Despite adherence to policies and procedures for vascular access device (VAD) insertion and care and management during infusion therapy, an infiltration or extravasation may occur. In this session, educational content addresses prevention, assessment, and interventions for infiltration and extravasation.

Barb Nickel, APRN-CNS, CCRN, CRNI®, , 

Implanted vascular access devices (IVADs), commonly called ports, are central lines surgically placed in the body to facilitate long-term infusion therapy. Implanted ports differ in construct, size, and application and can be subject to technical difficulties which may lead to patient complications. In this session, learn more about trouble shooting complications and management. Topics include occlusions, malposition, infection, infiltration, and extravasation.

Mary Jo Sarver, MN, ARNP, AOCN, CRNI®, VA-BC, LNC, CEO, Sarver Better Living

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Competency is a required level of effective performance in the work environment defined by adherence to professional standards, including knowledge, skills, abilities, and judgment based on established science. Due to its invasive, high-risk nature, the clinician with responsibility for VAD insertion, safe delivery of infusion therapy, and VAD management must demonstrate competency with each of these skills as well as with the comprehensive role of infusion nursing. The length of clinical experience and passive recurrent performance are not surrogates for clinical knowledge and procedural competence for experienced clinicians. So how can initial and ongoing competency be validated? In this session, attendees will learn about managing competency assessment and validation in 2 phases: initial competency and ongoing competency.

Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI®, ,