My goal is to reach the long-term care nurse with this important message. Specifically, I wish to address the comments made in the article regarding complicated IV therapy being self-administered by patients and family members. Infusion therapy is a recognized specialty practice of nursing. Technologies, equipment and therapies have changed and improved as to even challenge infusion nurses in the competent and qualified delivery of multiple infusion therapies, while keeping a 'keen eye' on quality and performance improvement parameters. To suggest that such therapies can be performed, extemporaneously, by patients and family members or non-licensed personnel is dangerous.
Infection is a major threat to achieving positive outcomes in infusion therapy.
It has been calculated that the cost of treating catheter-related infections, which are preventable, can affect the health care organization to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Infusion nurses have been actively advocating for their patients for the great half of the twentieth century and will continue to do so in the 21st century. Perhaps you, yourself, stated the circumstances rather succinctly in the closing paragraphs of the article. Nursing's roles may be leaders, mentors and patient advocates. I would suggest that infusion nurse specialists are very concerned about patients and families and the competent infusion care they receive.