I am truly honored to count myself as one of the amazing nurses of the Outpatient Infusion / IV Therapy team at 32nd Ave. While there are only four of us with Lisa Anderson as our supervisor, we are able to tackle just about anything. I have been lucky enough to be a part of this unit long enough to see it expand and prosper the way we all knew it could when a dedicated group of nurses took it over. With our beautiful new infusion center and up to date equipment we are finally able to serve our diverse patient population with excellent care that Essentia Health can boast about. We see patients of all kinds; from those who need a simple SQ injection to others that require a whole day or week with us to receive complicated biologic medicine infusions. While our bread and butter are patient's requiring daily antibiotic infusions, we also take on procedures and treatments that couldn't be offered anywhere else. We provide therapeutic phlebotomy to those who simply cannot donate blood, blood transfusions to those in need, Lasix injections to those with CHF exacerbations, among many others. Many times we are saving these patients an expensive trip to the ER or an admission to the hospital.
We embrace Essentia Health's values in our day to day care of our patients.
Quality: I don't know where our patients could get better quality of care than what we give them when they are with us for infusion. We are proud to be the only RNs able to insert PICC lines at the bedside at the 32nd Ave location. Nothing makes you feel like more of a super nurse than being able to get a difficult IV start on your first try after several attempts by others. Patients have learned to trust that we evaluate the whole situation to be able to provide the best possible access for them. Many of our patients are hesitant to have other nurses working with their lines, specifically making appointments and visits when an infusion nurse is present.
Hospitality: We do our best to make our patients comfortable when they are receiving treatment with us. It is almost as if we are welcoming them into our home. We get them something to drink, a comfortable chair, and a warm blanket. We joke that most of our patients come for naps as most fall asleep during their treatment. We have beautiful art on the walls and try to make our space homey with plants and décor. Many of our returning patients have commented that a visit with us is like a visit with an old friend. We often chat about our families and any exciting events in each other's lives.
Respect: I have never in all of my years at Essentia (over 10 years) worked with a group of nurses who respect each other as much as we do. If my children were ill and one of these nurses were to care for them, I would be 100% comfortable. The respect that Lisa shows the RNs working under her is unequaled. If we say an IV is a hard start or a task got taken care of, she believes us 100%. She had the pleasure of training all of us and respects and trusts us enough that she does not micromanage us. We respect and trust Lisa enough that we know if we bring her a question or scenario, she will find us an answer without making us feel we are making a fuss.
Joy: One of the things I love about the infusion center is the great improvement we see in our patient's lives, often in a small period of time and with only a few treatments. It gives us and our patients much joy to see vast improvements in the lives and quality of living in the short time they are with us. We can give an infusion for a migraine and see immediate relief by the time the infusion is complete. I do not know what could give a patient more joy than that. Does the work we do "spark joy" with us, I would have to say yes!
Justice: Infusion nurses are advocates for our patients. We do our best to adhere to best practice when it comes to the care we provide. If something does not seem safe or if we have questions about a treatment we are the first defense for our patients. When we have concerns regarding an infusion we strive for understanding and rational. We always look to do what is safe for our patients. "Best practice" and doing what is most beneficial for our patients while maintaining a safe atmosphere are our words to live by.
Stewardship: Infusion nurses are so well versed that often we fill in holes throughout the hospital. While the infusion center is open on weekends often the patient load is much decreased compared to what we see during the week. Because of this, infusion nurses usually occupy several roles on weekends and throughout the week if scheduling allows. Not only do we care for the infusion patients while being on call for PICC line placement one could find us filling in for SWAT, taking patients in CEU, serving as a resource in CEU, and just being a helping hand circulator. We embody stewardship in that if we are working we want to help as much as is safely possible.
Teamwork: Since we are such a small group of nurses it is not often that we all work together, but when we do, the teamwork is unmatched. We have had patients comment that we work so well together it is like watching a well-oiled machine. Whether it is Lisa helping to care for infusion patients when the load is too big for one nurse or an infusion nurse going to the floor to assist in line placement we all work incredibly well together. This translates to outside the hospital as well. We get together often outside of work and enjoy each other's company. I am proud to call these nurses friends first and co-workers second.
We are all proud to say that we are a part of Essentia Health's Outpatient Infusion/IV team. I am often excited to come to work when I know I am going to be working an infusion shift because I know that even if it is going to be a busy day it is going to be a good day. I get to work with co-workers who are my friends, see patients and get to catch up on their lives, and talk with clinicians I respect. It truly is the best part of hospital and clinical care. We all know we are making a healthy difference in people's lives.