The authority of nursing is based upon a contract with society derived from a complex social base. Within the context of this contract, society grants the profession considerable autonomy to manage its own affairs.
Specialization marks the advancement of nursing practice.
It signifies that nursing has moved from a global approach to a focus on defined areas within the practice that require specialized knowledge and skills. The foundation of specialty practice is based on the knowledge gained from general nursing education and a concentrated study in a selected clinical area of nursing. Consequently, a specialist is also a generalist, but a generalist has not acquired the knowledge and skill in a defined area to be designated a specialist. Infusion nursing practice is a dynamic process. The Patient Patients receiving infusion therapy represent a diversity of diagnoses and varying severity of illness.