How wonderful it would be if INS made the Standards of Practice available to everyone free online. I understand there are costs involved with operating a corporation, and obviously printed copies would continue to be purchased. However there are so many instances when a staff nurse needs a reference to argue for patient safety and the Standards are simply not at their fingertips. I think this one action by INS would greatly contribute to patient safety. What does the community think?
I would not expect this to happen and the business person in me says it should not happen. This document is intellectual property that has value, thus the price attached. There are no other nursing professional organization that gives away their standards or guidelines documents. Check ONS, APIC, AACN, AORN, etc to see that they charge for their documents. Members receive the INS document as part of their benefits. If it were given away, this would cease to be a member benefit. Who would pay for a printed copy when it could be obtained as a free Internet download? Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
I would love for it to be available on line and willing to pay for it.. to do the exchange rate and pay postage is often more than the product, I am happy to acknowledge the work and intelligence factor that has gone into it...But not being a full time worker now cant afford the cost. Yet my life and of the support group members does..
Even though our country pretend not to acknowledge it [in previous years]then I note they write their own and it happens to be word for word but in english spelling. !!
I know this is an exaggeration but it seems every AVA/INS member I meet knows the standards and every floor nurse infusing a patient does not. I think INS has a great opportunity here to step outside the box and provide the standards online. I believe this would be a great business opportunity for INS in terms of increased exposure and also again setting the bar in regards to the other organizations. Corporate sponsorship and increased interest interest in membership will make the move worthwhile. While the vascular access community is doing some really outstanding things in hospitals across the country, floor nurses need infusion knowlege, and we can do a better job of sharing that knowledge.
Perfect example... I was recently teaching PICC insertion at a hospital and a physician ordered removal of a much needed PICC for a low grade fever. The nurse was able to reference the new CDC guidelines online and saved the line, and the fever was gone the next day!
Everyday hospitals ask nurses to violate an INS standard by hanging PPN with an osmolarity well over 800. How great it would be to Google the standards and have the nurse offer a better alternative for the patient!
Stephen Harris RN, CRNI, VA-BC
Chief Clinical Officer
Carolina Vascular Wellness
I like the idea of free on-line. It boosts the visibility and credibility of an organization. INS maybe can apply for a grant to offer their standards for free on-line therefore not losing money. If I were to poll heads of nursing I bet INS would not be recognized as even an entity with standards but AORN would be. Viisibility and recognition is very important and I believe INS is not as recognized or visible as the organizations mentiioned by Lynn. That woudl be a good poll for INS to conduct. At the end of the day what percentage of DON's know their standards even exist.
Kathy
Nurses would are writing p&p do know of the INS standards. Virtually all legal cases I review have references on their policy and procedure documents that include the INS standards. Staff nurses may not know this document and do not know they are working under it, but they actually are when p&P is written according to the standards. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
I see both sides of the debate. However, at my institution we had to buy them ourselves. When I hired on to the PICC team I began to search out education and resources and through that discovered several of our practices were very outdated. Noone outside of our department knows what the INS or AVA are. When we beg for practice updates and equipment upgrades we often get blank looks when we reference INS. Memberships and certifications are out of pocket. We have been begging and wating for months for the latest INS Standards and text book. However it looks like if we want it this century it will once again be out of pocket.
Aaaaand I do not work in a small podunk hospital. Major city, 600+ beds, 1800+ PICC's a year. The last time we asked to attend a conference for education we were told to have a fundraiser like a bakesale (!!!!!!????!!!!). There is a new director so may be time to ask again. But seriously, these books are EXPENSIVE and not readily available.
Martha
The Indiana Chapter of INS is working on this. We as a chapter have purchased the standards and give them away a door prizes. We open our educational dinners to non INS members.
Also, this is where we as the specialist need to educate every nurse we deal with. I loan out my standards to any one who wants to see them and we speak them everyday.
I also have purchased a copy on the Kindle Store.
Rose Galyan RN, BSN, CRNI
Speciality Practice Nurse
Vascular Access Team
Indiana University Hospital Bloomington
[email protected]
The links below are the Standards of Practice available online. Cost is about $15.00.
Well worth the investment.
http://www.booku.com/Infusion-Nursing-Standards-of-Practice/Infusion-Nurses-Society/ebook_551845.htm
http://ebookpie.com/books/261354-infusion-nursing-standards-of-practice-2011-ebook
http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9781611870718-0