It's hard to imagine we're halfway through 2021 with 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us. As Angie Sims, 2020-2021 INS President, points out in her State of the Society report, "life goes on." Despite having to conduct business virtually, INS leaders, volunteers, and staff worked together to ensure the organizational goals and initiatives were met. INS was well positioned to address the challenges that arose due to work done prior to 2020 in understanding and preparing for the changing association landscape. It became evident that a face-to-face annual meeting would not be possible, and a virtual program would be the alternative. Educational resources were created and developed in a variety of formats to accommodate members' needs, while INS' collaborative efforts with other health care organizations, such as American Nurses Association (ANA), Association of Vascular Access (AVA), and National Home Infusion Association (NHIA), to name a few, continued. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force was convened to guide INS in executing meaningful actions that support diversity and inclusion within the infusion community.
The 2020 INS Financial Report, by Inez Nichols, INS Secretary/Treasurer, reflects the organization's actions during an unpredictable time. With most staff working remotely, a schedule was implemented so necessary in-office functions, such as processing orders and invoices, would not be disrupted. INS also qualified for a Payback Protection Program (PPP) loan that, based on current parameters, should be forgiven in total. Identifying revenue streams while reducing expenses has contributed to INS' stable financial position.
In May, the transition of the 2021-2022 INS Board of Directors took place, with Sue Weaver assuming her role as INS President. In her presidential address, "ReSEARCH Your Passion," she shares her personal story as a nurse and experiences as an INS member and her passion for research. For some of you, the thought of conducting research is daunting; however, Sue offers some practical advice that may spark interest in research that impacts infusion care or the work environment of infusion nurses.
In January 2021, INS was pleased to release the 8th edition of the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice. The work was the culmination of a 3-year effort by the Standards of Practice Committee, with the content based on the most current references at the time of publication. INS makes every effort to align the Standards with guidelines and clinical practice recommendations from other specialty health care organizations so that the information is consistent and not confusing to the clinician. After the Standards was published, the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) released new guidance on filtration of parenteral nutrition (PN) that states that for all PN solutions, including PN solutions with lipids, a 1.2-micron filter be used. ASPEN's recommendation supersedes the Practice Recommendation for the use of 0.22-micron filtration for non-lipid solutions. The clinical practice brief on the next few pages explains the revised guidance in greater detail. You'll also notice some additional corrections we've made to the Standards for better accuracy. The online version will be linked with these updates appropriately, but please make a note in your personal print copy.
As we continue to see COVID-19 cases decrease with vaccinations and other safety protocols, INS has been hard at work planning a return to an in-person meeting next month. We invite you to join us on August 14-17, 2021 at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas and reconnect live with members of the infusion community. Educational sessions include titles such as:
* Costs Associated With the Use of Short PIVCs
* Myths Associated With Vascular Access and Infusion Therapy
* Pain Reduction Strategies During Pediatric IV Placement
* Home Infusion of Antineoplastic Therapies
* Antimicrobial Stewardship: Insights, Opportunities, and New Therapies
We understand that there may still be concerns and uncertainty surrounding live events, but you can rest assured that our focus will be on the safety of all who attend. We will monitor any changes and provide you with updates as we receive them on our website (http://www.INS1.org). As we turn the corner in defeating this pandemic, we look forward to seeing you in person in August!
Mary Alexander