Advanced IV Therapeutic Interventions

This unit extends foundational IV skills to complex vascular access devices and specialty infusions, emphasizing safe, evidence-based clinical practice for central lines, blood products, chemotherapy, fluids/electrolytes, and parenteral nutrition. Students will integrate pharmacology, calculation, monitoring, and complication-management skills to prepare for higher-stakes clinical scenarios and capstone application in the next unit.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze indications, insertion sites, maintenance procedures, and complication recognition for central venous access devices (CVADs) and select appropriate access and dressing strategies based on patient factors and infection-prevention standards
• Apply pharmacologic principles and dosage calculations to prepare and administer IV medications safely, including compatibility checks, infusion rate determination, safe bolus and IV push techniques, and documentation per facility protocols
• Demonstrate safe transfusion practices and chemotherapy infusion procedures by following verification steps, identifying and responding to acute reactions or extravasation, and applying appropriate emergency interventions and reporting
• Evaluate patient fluid and electrolyte status and develop evidence-based plans for IV fluid replacement and parenteral nutrition initiation/monitoring, including electrolyte correction, rate adjustments, and recognition/management of metabolic complications