Fast Facts for Nurses about Home Infusion Therapy: The Expert's Best-Practice Guide in a Nutshell.
Gorski, L. (2017).
New York, NY: Springer Publishing Company LLC. 232 pages.
In today's environment of short hospital stays, patients are returning home quicker and sicker, often requiring continued infusion therapy for a host of conditions including cancer, heart failure, pain, infectious diseases, and more. Fast Facts for Nurses about Home Infusion Therapy: The Expert's Best-Practice Guide in a Nutshell by Lisa A. Gorski is part of a series of Fast Facts books that provide best practices from expert clinicians in a wide range of nursing specialties. Nurses who provide infusion care in the home will want this gem. True to the title, this book fits in your hand, but this tiny tome is packed with expert advice for safe and effective infusion therapy. The information is presented in three parts. The first part focuses on fundamentals of infusion care-patient education, infection prevention, and measures to ensure nurse competency. Part II covers peripheral and central access devices as well as other less frequently used access methods such as those for subcutaneous and intraspinal infusions. Part III focuses on infusion methods (IV push, gravity, drip, and infusion pumps) as well as patient education and patient safety for delivery of infusion therapy in a variety of conditions and needs. Chapters in Part III include the following topics: therapy for managing dehydration, antimicrobial therapy, parenteral nutrition, chemotherapy, pain management, cardiac therapy, and immunoglobulin therapy. The book is in an easy-to-read format, with important points bulleted for quick reference, and includes clear illustrations. Fast Facts in a Nutshell appear throughout the chapters as a way to summarize key points. Each chapter ends with patient education key points and short multiple-choice quizzes to test the reader's knowledge and comprehension. Every nurse who provides infusion therapy should have this quick reference book as part of their orientation to home infusion therapy and for ongoing reference to provide safe and effective infusion care.
-Contributed by Maureen Anthony, PhD, RN
Editor, Home Healthcare Now