Learning Center
A Review of Intravenous Smart Pump (IVSP) Usability and Accuracy [virtual]
The use of IVSPs is associated with increased cognitive workload for nurses, usability errors due to poor system design, and flow-related medication errors that are difficult to detect at the point-of-care. The presenters will review results from their large body of research on IVSP usability and describe causes and mitigation strategies for many known issues related to flow rate accuracy. Several real-world, case study examples will be used to clearly illustrate related concepts within the context of nursing practice and patient safety. This session will review the evidence related to IVSP usability and accuracy, including a discussion of implications for nursing workflow and patient care.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:
• Understand common sources of errors related to IVSP use
• Discuss the issue of flow rate accuracy and the implications of inaccurate flow rates
• Employ critical thinking strategies to improve patient safety when using IVSPs
Contact Hours: 1
CRNI® RUs: 2
Jeannine Blake, PhD, RN
Jeannine Blake, PhD, RN, is a nurse scientist with a clinical background in surgical intensive care nursing and a passion for advancing health care innovation using an interdisciplinary nurse-engineer approach. Her research focuses on improving intravenous (IV) pumping technology accuracy, flow steadiness, and usability, with a current interest in understanding the impact of alarm management on nursing time and patient experience. She is dedicated to improving patient outcomes, streamlining nursing workflows, and integrating IV pumps more effectively into real-world clinical practices.
Dr Blake earned her PhD in Nursing Science and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is now an Assistant Professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and is affiliated with the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation. She continues her research mission in this role to build evidence that informs infusion practices and optimizes nursing workflows.
Dr Blake contributes to the development of global safety standards for infusion therapy as a member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) technical information report (TIR) Infusion Standards Committee and has been an invited clinical advisor to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Infusion Standards Working Group. For her work in this space, she is the 2025 AAMI Young Professional Award winner.
Karen Giuliano, PhD, RN
Karen Giuliano, PhD, RN, has over 25 years of experience in critical care nursing, medical product development and innovation, and patient-centered clinical outcomes research. Her primary focus is in general acute and critical care with a special interest in using human-centered design to better understand how clinical needs, medical technology use, product development, and innovation intersect to improve the process of care for clinicians and the experience of care for patients.
Dr Giuliano’s own interdisciplinary program of research is focused in 2 main areas: non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia prevention and improving the safety and usability of IV Smart Pumps. Karen is currently a Professor at the University of Massachusetts Institute for Applied Life Sciences and the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing. She is also the Co-director of the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation.
Key:
Complete
Next
Failed
Available
Locked