Infusion Therapy Nursing Team: Implementation and Effectiveness of Initial Results

Area of Science:

• Vascular Access Devices
• Infusion Therapy Nursing
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Infusion therapy teams manage vascular access, insertion, maintenance, and medication delivery.
• Establishing an infusion therapy team in a public hospital aims to optimize these services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail the activities and scope of an infusion therapy team in its inaugural year.
• To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of the team's interventions.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive study analyzing the first year of operation of a two-nurse infusion therapy team.
• Data collection on all performed activities, including insertion procedures, consultations, and device maintenance.

Main Results:

• 1502 activities were completed, with 59.6% being peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertions.
• 82.5% of PICCs used tip navigation and electrocardiogram guidance, achieving an 81.7% first-attempt success rate.
• Consultations primarily concerned insertion sites (33.0%) and PICC contraindications (17.8%).

Conclusions:

• The infusion therapy team's initial year demonstrated significant activity, particularly in PICC insertions.
• The team's interventions positively impacted practice dissemination, adoption of best practices, and cost reduction.