Learning Center
Professional Growth Through Competency, Ongoing Competency, and Specialty Certifications
Includes a Live Web Event on 04/27/2025 at 4:30 PM (EDT)
The Joint Commission and other accreditation bodies note that knowledge deficits and lack of clinical competency are contributing factors in patient safety errors. Studies from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) have demonstrated that specialty certified nurses have higher rates of patient satisfaction in addition to lower rates of work-related patient care errors. As the delivery of health care has become increasingly complex, in addition to new technologies introduced in clinical practice, it is understandable that Americans prefer organizations that employ competent and certified clinicians. Competency is critical in the day-to-day tasks performed. Being accountable and responsible is the individual’s “job” to provide safe, effective patient care. The INS Standard for competency and competency assessment is to ensure patient safety and public protection. In addition, it is to ensure that clinicians meet licensing requirements and core competencies according to the clinician’s profession.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:
• Discuss competency versus certification
• Discuss barriers to certification
• Describe the ways certification demonstrates expertise to patients, colleagues, and employers
Contact Hours: 1
CRNI® RUs: 2
Kathy Puglise, MSN, CRNI®
Kathy Puglise, MSN, CRNI®, has been a registered nurse for 38 years, with clinical experience in emergency room nursing, critical care nursing, infusion nursing. She also has a strong background in home infusion. Ms Puglise is well known to the home infusion industry as a nursing expert, as she is active in Infusion Nurses Society (INS), National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), Immunoglobulin National Society (IgNS), and was a co-founder of a home infusion company based on the east coast. Ms Puglise has her Master of Science in nursing with a specialization in health care education.
She has served in numerous roles over the years with INS with seats on the INS board and the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC) board. She also served as the chair for the RN Exam council as an expert in question development, and evaluation of the certified registered nurse infusion (CRNI®) exam. Ms Puglise is a published author in the Journal of Infusion Nursing, Infusion Magazine, INCC Chronicle, the National Student Nurses Association and INS Policies and Procedures in Home Infusion Therapy . In addition, she has authored numerous continuous education programs and has spoken nationally.
Ms Puglise is employed by ICU Medical. She is the clinical manager of the home infusion/alternate site team. She is responsible for the oversight of professional services for her teams, building customer relationships internally and externally, providing innovative solutions and service excellence.
Felicia Schaps, MSN-Ed, RN, CRNI®, OCN®, CNSC, lgCN, VA-BC
Felicia Schaps has been a nurse for over 35 years with the majority of her experience in home infusion. She has been a field nurse, a nurse manager, a VP of nursing, and a branch general manager. Felicia holds a master’s degree in nursing with a focus in education, and also has board certifications in infusion nursing, oncology nursing, nutrition, immunoglobulin nursing, and vascular access.
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