Infusion Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach

Abstract

Every professional organization publishes authoritative books considered to encompass the core knowledge and essential information about that particular specialty. Infusion Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach, published by the Infusion Nurses Society, is one such resource that has recently been updated to the third edition. Data, research, and evidence make up the foundation for the current nursing and infusion therapy practice presented in Infusion Nursing.The book is divided into 6 sections, starting with an overview of Infusion Therapy. This section includes context such as legal issues, quality management, and clinician and patient safety. Also discussed in this section are evidence-based practice, clinical and patient education, financial considerations, and infusion therapy across the continuum of care settings.Section II focuses on the Physiologic Considerations, section III discusses Infusion Therapies, and section IV presents Infusion Delivery Systems. Section V is directly related to Infusion Nursing Practice; section VI addresses Specialty Populations, that is, children and older adults.Infusion Nursing assumes a foundation of competent, safe nursing practice and builds the framework for practice within the specialty. Most chapters contain “Focus on Evidence” tables, in which current studies relevant to the topic of the chapter are summarized and referenced. This information can be used to evaluate current practice as well as areas where evidence may not be available or where research still needs to be done.Each chapter also includes figures and tables that help advance understanding of the content and that contain helpful information to anyone developing protocols and procedures related to infusion practices. Tools are also available; for example, the chapter on financial considerations includes a table for “Infusion Therapy Procedures and Average Nursing Time to Perform Procedure” and a “Sample Chargemaster” for those who may be accountable for the budgeting of infusion services within their facility.Although Infusion Nursing may not be a ready reference for daily practice, it has value across all areas of nursing, from the clinician learning infusion therapy to the manager who must be able to show the value of the infusion services. It is an excellent reference that should be readily available in every hospital nursing library and that can be used to answer infusion therapy–related questions that arise in evidence-based practice.