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The Practice of IV Therapy by Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) - Essential Course Content

All health facility/agency employers should provide IV Therapy Training to LPNs to ensure that they will provide IV therapy safely and competently. In addition to the course content below, IV Therapy Training should cover topics that are relevant to the specific IV services that the LPNs will provide. For example, if an LPN will be assigned to provide IV therapy services to children, IV Therapy Training should cover topics relevant to IV therapy for pediatric populations. IV Therapy Training must include supervised clinical experiences and require each LPN to demonstrate competence in the performance of IV therapy procedures that the LPN will be assigned to provide. New York Law requires most New York State Department of Health licensed health facilities and agencies to provide LPNs with additional IV Therapy Training at least annually.

  1. Legal and Policy Considerations
    1. LPN scope of practice relating to providing IV therapy
    2. Clinical supervision of LPNs who provide IV therapy
    3. Health Care facility/agency's IV therapy policies and procedures
    4. Health Care facility/agency's quality assurance and risk management program
       
  2. Anatomy and Physiology relating to IV Therapy
    1. Vascular Anatomy (i.e., appropriate vein and venous access device placement sites)
    2. Physiologic Effects of IV Therapy
       
  3. IV Infusion Technology and Clinical Uses
    1. Peripheral IV Catheters and Central Venous Access Devices
    2. Inspecting, setting up and operating infusion equipment (flow-control devices, infusion administration sets, add-on devices and vascular visualization technology)
       
  4. Infusion Therapies and Pharmacology
    1. Types of Infusion Therapies (i.e., anti-infective, parenteral nutrition and hydration)
    2. Commonly ordered IV Solutions, indications, pharmacological actions and therapeutic effects
    3. Commonly ordered IV Drugs, their indications, pharmacological actions and therapeutic effects
    4. Drug incompatibilities
       
  5. IV Therapy Orders
    1. Verifying IV Therapy Orders (i.e., patient name and appropriateness of therapy)
    2. IV Therapy Orders that other clinicians execute (i.e., first dose of IV Drug or IV push Drugs)
    3. Calculating prescribed IV Drug dosages/flow rates and IV Solution flow rates
       
  6. Patient Safety and Infection Prevention and Control
    1. Aseptic Technique; Hand Hygiene, Universal Precautions, and Transmission Precautions
    2. Preparing (reconstituting or admixing) and inspecting IV Drugs and IV Solutions
    3. Disposal of Hazardous Materials
       
  7. Infusion and Vascular Access Nursing Procedures
    1. Insertion of Short Peripheral Intravenous Catheters
    2. Maintenance of Venous Access Devices, IV Lines and IV Sites (i.e., dressing changes)
    3. Removal of Peripheral Catheters
    4. Initiating and Discontinuing IV Therapy
    5. Monitoring and Regulating IV Solution Flow Rates and IV Drug Flow Rates
    6. Administration of intermittent IV Drugs
    7. Obtaining Blood Samples for Laboratory Testing
       
  8. Patient Monitoring and Possible Complications
    1. Monitoring Patient Responses to IV Therapy
    2. Signs and Symptoms of IV Drug or IV Solution adverse reactions
    3. Signs and Symptoms of Vascular Access Device Complications (i.e., IV site Infections)
    4. Identifying and Reporting Adverse Events
       
  9. Additional Considerations
    1. Special Patient Populations (i.e., pediatric patients, pregnant patients, older adult patients, hemodialysis patients and patients whose health is adversely impacted by non-medical factors such as poverty, lack of access to health services, education or housing, among others)
    2. Patient Teaching
    3. IV Therapy Documentation and Record Keeping

Resources:
New York State Education Law Article 139 (Nurse Practice Act)
New York State Department of Health Regulations 10 NYCRR §400.15 and §700.4.)
"Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice" (Infusion Nurses Society,2024).
"NICA minimum Standards for In-Office Infusion (National Infusion Center Association, 2019).