50th anniversary supplement

Retrospective Issue

50 Years Strong – and Counting!

by Mary Alexander, MA, RN, CRNI®, CAE, FAAN

Fifty years is a milestone worth celebrating. As we look to the future of the Infusion Nurses Society (INS), let’s reflect on what led us to where we are now. The organization began in 1973 as the National Intravenous Therapy Association (NITA). In 1987, the name changed to the Intravenous Nurses Society (INS), to minimize confusion among health care professionals, consumers, and legislators who were sometimes not aware that nurses represented the majority of our members. In 2001, the name changed to its current iteration, the Infusion Nurses Society, to reflect the comprehensive nature of the specialty practice. These days the organization is no longer US-centric, but has a global representation; and practice settings are not limited to hospitals, but include alternative sites and home care, to name a few.

There are several key stakeholders in this organization. Members are the backbone of INS, driving the engagement and the participation, and supporting the infusion specialty practice. Our boards of directors demonstrate passion and commitment and strategic thinking while leading and guiding the organization forward. We are grateful for our volunteer leaders who share their time and clinical expertise. And the INS staff is constantly working behind the scenes, executing and implementing strategic initiatives that contribute to the growth and advancement of the organization.

Over the years, we have formulated several components of the Infusion Nurses Society, all working in tandem to provide a pleasant and informative experience for our members. Our meetings provide a wide variety of educational sessions and workshops; invaluable networking with friends and colleagues; and the exhibit hall, which showcases the most current infusion- and vascular access-related products and services and new technologies and treatment options. Once in-person only, meetings now have virtual and hybrid options. Our other educational options include high-caliber speakers such as subject matter experts in virtual-only events; webinars; podcasts; and the Fundamentals of Infusion Therapy (FIT) program. The number of learning assets has grown significantly and is now offered in various platforms so that members can customize their learning strategies and plans.

We’ve expanded our marketing to social media over the years to promote INS, our brand, our meetings, our educational offerings, and our publications. We’ve published the highly respected Journal of Infusion Nursing (JIN), which has featured scholarly work for 45 years; 8 editions of Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice; Policies and Procedures for Infusion Therapy, a 5-set series; and INSider, a digital membership publication with live links and videos that enhance its appeal.

The affiliate organization of INS, the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC), has kept up with technology in the certification realm: they transitioned from paper-and-pencil exam to a computer-based test, allowing for instant scoring; they have expanded the variety of recertification options; and they have developed hard-copy and online resources for exam preparation, such as the Core Curriculum for Infusion Nursing, the CRNI® Academy, and the CRNI® Exam Study Guide and Practice Questions. The CRNI® certification program has also earned accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification (ABSNC), and the number of CRNI®s from outside the United States has grown.

Over these fifty years, we have demonstrated a commitment to longevity and sustainability: it is evident that the organization has stayed true to the mission of the original National Intravenous Therapy Association while also embracing much technological and practice changes. In the next fifty years, I hope we continue to honor our past while we also envision our future.

1973

1973-1974

1975-1976

Annual Meeting

Durham, NC Durham

May, 1973

Founders meet for the first time. Adopt constitution and bylaws.

IRA begins bombing campaign of mainland Britain

1975 Annual Meeting Scottsdale, AZ Safari Hotel May 11-15

1973

NITA published the first NITA News

January 25-26, 1973

National Intravenous Therapy Association (NITA) was born when 17 nurses and 1 technician met at Johns Hopkins Hospital to organize a professional association of registered nurses involved in the administration of intravenous therapy.

1975 1974

US Supreme Court decides Roe v. Wade

1976

1974-1975

1976-1977

1974 Annual Meeting San Antonio, TX Hilton Palacio del Rio Hotel May 23-25

1976 Annual Meeting Boston, MA Copley Plaza Hotel May 23-27

Geraldine Milkowitz

Founders Ada Plumer and Marguerite Knight

Hotel

Saigon falls to the North Vietnamese

Barbara Hayes

Dorothy Godfrey

Apple computers is founded

Susan Pauley

1977-1978

Claire Watson

1977 Annual Meeting

New Orleans, LA

New Orleans Marriott Hotel June 5-9

1977

Nuclear proliferation pact signed by 15 countries

1979-1980 Eli Studebaker New Directions

900 people die in the mass murder-suicide of Jonestown

1979 Annual Meeting Chicago, IL

New Chicago Marriott Hotel June 10-14 1979

1978-1979

Judy Hankins

1978 Annual Meeting

San Francisco, CA

San Francisco Hyatt Regency Hotel May 15-18

1978 Shah falls in Iran

The first clinical doctorate in nursing was established at Case Western Reserve University.

1980 Annual Meeting Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Marriott Hotel May 4-8

1980-1981 Cheryl Gardner

Time to Grow

1980

US House of Representatives declared January 25th "IV Nurse Day."

1980s

Nurses stopped wearing nursing caps; there was an increase of men in nursing.

Following the AIDS outbreak in the 1980s the US CDC formally introduced universal precautions in 1985–88. Every patient was treated as if infected and therefore precautions were taken to minimize risk. In 1987, the practice of universal precautions was adjusted by a set of rules known as body substance isolation.

First MTV video aired

1982 Annual Meeting San Francisco, CA San Francisco Hilton May 23-27

1982-1983 Carole Crudi

Eight-year war begins between Iraq and Iran

1982 1981

1981 Annual Meeting Boston, MA

Sheraton-Boston Hotel March 22-26

1981-1982 Sharon Weinstein

Venipuncture Hyperalimentation Standards (a precursor to Standards), 1st edition published American Academy of Nursing

The IV Nurse: Recognizing a Growing Specialty

th

ANN I V E R YRAS anniversary

identifies 41 hospitals as “Magnet” hospitals.

1983 Annual Meeting Chicago, IL

Marriott Hotel May 29-June 2

1983-1984

Cynthia Chrystal

Dozens of Reasons for Growth

1983

What is now known as the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC), a corporation separate from NITA (now INS), created a National Intravenous Therapy Association’s Credentialing Board. At their first meeting, they decided the 1984 publication Core Curriculum for Intravenous Nursing would be used as a reference to help nurses study for the exam.

Scientists isolate the human immunodeficiency virus.

1984

Chemicals kill thousands in India

1984 Annual Meeting Hollywood, FL

Diplomat Hotel June 2-7

Core Curriculum for Intravenous Nursing, 1st edition published

1985 Annual Meeting Phoenix, AZ

Hyatt Regency Phoenix May 11-16

1985-1986

Ann Corrigan A.C.T.: Achieve, Conquer, Triumph

1984-1985

Barbara Stephens Cox

Dimensions of Excellence

1985

Internet is born

INFUSION NURSES SOCIE

March 23, 1985

First RN Certification Examination was given. 543 registrants sat for the exam and 329 nurses (61%) passed.

Glasnost begins in the Soviet Union

1986-1987 Kathryn Carlson

1988-1989 Rose Anne Lonsway

Risk Management

1986 Annual Meeting

New Orleans, LA

Hyatt Regency Hotel/ Louisiana Superdome May 3-8

1988 Annual Meeting

San Diego, CA Town and Country Hotel May 7-12

NITA officially changes its name to the Intravenous Nurses Society

1986

1988 1987

1987-1988 Gloria Pelletier Specialization in Motion

1987 Annual Meeting

Nashville, TN

Opryland Hotel May 9-14

INS published the first Newsline.

INCC introduced the first study guide for those taking the RN Certification Examination, available in the July/August issue of the Journal of Intravenous Nursing for $25 each.

France became the first nation to approve of the abortion pill

India invades Pakistan

PR: Professional Responsibility

Oprah Winfrey Show begins

1989

Berlin Wall falls

1990-1991 Nancy Delisio

Take Time

At the first meeting of the INCC Executive Board, the formation of a RN Certification Examination Relevancy Committee was approved in order to evaluate the RN Credentialing Examination for its relevancy to the intravenous nursing specialty.

1989-1990 Cynthia Rutherford-Fishman

Hospital/Homecare: Linking Visions

1990 Annual Meeting Reno, NV

Bally's Grand Hotel-Reno May 5-10

Intravenous Nursing Standards of Practice, 2nd edition published

1990

The sixth RN Certification Examination was administered to 618 nurses in 37 cities nationally and 1 site in Saudi Arabia.

Safe Medical Devices Act

1989 Annual Meeting Miami Beach, FL

Fontainebleau Hilton Hotel May 6-11

Unification of Yemen 1990s

Needleless connectors were introduced to reduce the risk of health care worker needlestick injuries

Use of hand sanitizers was popularized

1991-1992 Krisha Scharnweber

Communication: Sharing of Knowledge

Rodney King protests in Los Angeles

Eddie Bernice Johnson elected to a Texas congressional seat, the first registered nurse elected to a congress

1991 Annual Meeting

Miami Beach, FL

Fontainebleu Hilton Hotel May 4-9

The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations creates an at-large nursing seat on its 24-member Board of Commissioners ending a 20-year lobbying effort by the American Nurses Association

1991

1992

Apartheid laws are repealed in South Africa

Intravenous Nurses Society logo revision TH

1992 Annual Meeting Dallas, TX

Lowes Anatole Hotel May 9-14

1992-1993 Maxine Perdue

Caring, Competency, and Certification: The Hallmarks of Intravenous Nurses

ANN I V E R YRAS

1993-1995

Deborah Belisle

Measures of Success; TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More

Amazon.com is born

1993 Annual Meeting

Orlando, FL

Stouffer Orlando Resort Hotel May 1-6

1995-1996 Leslie Baranowski

Take Ownership

1995 Annual Meeting

Phoenix, AZ

Civic Plaza Convention Center May 6-11

Infusion Therapy in Clinical Practice (commonly known as “the red book”), 1st edition published

1993

Researchers at George Washington University clone human embryos and nurture them in a Petri dish for several days.

1995 1994

NAFTA is signed into law

1994 Annual Meeting

Denver, CO

Colorado Convention Center April 30-May 5

First convention center to accommodate more attendees

Originally designed for industrial use, N95 respirators became a health care standard subsequent to virus-blocking technology invented by University of Tennessee professor Peter Tsai, and patented in 1995.

Ebay is founded

1996-1997 Mary Alexander Chart Your Course

1996 Annual Meeting Charlotte, NC

New Charlotte Convention Center May 4-9

Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling is published

CDC releases Purell to the consumer market

1996

47 nurses took the first LPN/LVN Certification Examination, and 28 nurses (60%) were awarded the Certified Licensed Nurse Intravenous (CLNI) credential.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) signed into law

Intravenous Nurses Society logo revision TH

Universal precautions and body substance isolation were changed to standard precautions.

1997

1997-1998 Corinne Wheeler Make the Connection

1997 Annual Meeting Salt Lake City, UT Salt Palace Convention Center May 3-8

ANN I V E R YRAS

Dolly the sheep is cloned

1998-1999 Crystal Miller

2000-2002 Brenda Dugger

Leading the Way

Creating a Global Community; Setting the Standard

Y2K

1998 Annual Meeting

Houston, TX

George R. Brown Convention Center May 2-7

Mary Alexander’s first meeting as CEO

1998

Companies prepare for Y2K California governor Gray Davis signs the nation’s first state law mandating specific nurse-to-patient ratios.

2000 Annual Meeting Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis Convention Center May 6-11

Intravenous Nursing Standards of Practice, 3rd edition published

2000 1999

Google search engine is launched

1999-2000 Beth Fabian

Challenge the Future

1999 Annual Meeting Charlotte, NC Charlotte Convention Center May 1-6

Intravenous Nursing Standards of Practice, 4th edition published

Core Curriculum for Intravenous Nursing, 2nd edition published

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Nursing (companion pub to the Standards), 1st edition published

2000s

Advent of the Electronic Health Record (EHR): By 2009, the CDC reported that HER had risen to 48.3 percent usage.

First crew lives on International Space Station

2002-2003 Roxanne Perucca

9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States

A Commitment to Infusion Excellence

Infusion Therapy in Clinical Practice, 2nd edition published

2002 Annual Meeting Phoenix, AZ Phoenix Civic Plaza May 4-9

Infusion Nurses Society logo change

2002 2001

2001 Annual Meeting Indianapolis, IN Indiana Convention Center and RCA Dome April 28-May 3

The first human genome sequences were published in nearly complete draft form in February 2001 by the Human Genome Project and Celera Corporation.

Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2001

US invades Iraq

First "smart" infusion pumps on the market

2003

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) originates in Asia and spreads to the United States and Canada

INCC presented a CRNI® Certification Information Workshop at the annual meeting. It was intended to provide RNs with information on the CRNI® program and study techniques for the CRNI® exam.

Core Curriculum for Intravenous Nursing, 3rd edition published

2003-2004 Jackie Tropp

Renewing the Commitment

Deadliest terrorist attack in Indonesia

2003 Annual Meeting Nashville, TN Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center May 31-June 5

2004-2006 Mary Walsh

CARES: Collaborate, Advocate, Research, Education, Safety

2004 Annual Meeting

Salt Lake City, UT

Salt Palace Convention Center May 1-6

2005 Annual Meeting

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention Center May 14 -19

2004

2005

Facebook is founded

YouTube posts its first videos

2006

Pluto is demoted to a “dwarf planet”

2006 Annual Meeting Reno, NV Reno Hilton May 6-11

Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice, 5th edition published (revision cycle every 5 years begins)

2006-2007 Lynn Czaplewski Pathways to Excellence

2007 Annual Meeting Orlando, FL Rosen Centre Hotel June 2-7 2007

2007-2008 Lisa Gorski

Largest economic crisis since the Great Depression

2009-2010 Lynn Phillips

Advancing the Science of Infusion Therapy

Connections to Success: Building Alliances

2009 Annual Meeting Nashville, TN

Gaylord Opryland® Resort and Convention Center May 16-21

2008

2009

2008-2009 Cora Vizcarra Innovation: An Approach to Infusion Excellence

First black US president is inaugurated

2008 Annual Meeting Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix Convention Center & Hyatt Phoenix May 3-8

iPhone is unveiled

China becomes the world’s secondlargest economy

Infusion Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach, 3rd edition published

2011 Annual Meeting Louisville, KY Kentucky International Convention Center May 21-26

2011-2012 Jeanette Adams Evolving Our Legacy

Parade of Nations welcomes the International Delegates

2011 2010

2012

Worst blackout in history in India; 620 million without power

2010-2011 Nancy Mortlock Bridges to a Global Alliance

Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice, 6th edition published

2010 Annual Meeting

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Greater Ft. Lauderdale/ Broward County Conv. Center May 15-20

2012-2013 Kathy Puglise

LEAD: Leadership, Education, Accountability and Development

Occupy Wall Street

2012 Annual Meeting

Las Vegas, NV

Rio All Suite Hotel & Casino April 28-May 3

INS first uses a Mobile App

2013-2014

Britt Meyer Lining Up to Infuse Excellence

2013 Annual Meeting Charlotte, NC Charlotte Convention Center May 18-23

INS Celebrates 40th Anniversary 2013

Core Curriculum for Infusion Nursing, 4th edition published

2014

West Africa outbreak of Ebola virus; four cases of Ebola virus in the United States

2014-2015 Ann Plohal

2015 Annual Meeting Louisville, KY Kentucky International Convention Center May 16-21

2015-2016 Cheryl Dumont Infusion Nurses Embracing Change

Infuse Knowledge, Competence, and Confidence

2015

Zika virus, an infection during pregnancy causing certain birth defects

Snowden leaks information about NSA’s spying on US citizens

2014 Annual Meeting Phoenix, AZ Phoenix Convention Center May 3-8

Infusion Therapy Grand Rounds: High-Risk Infusion prerecorded in November; first virtual conference in April 2016

1st US approved biosimilar Zarxio (filgrastim-sndz) Paris Climate Accord is

United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union

2017-2018 Pamela Jacobs

California wildfires cause record-breaking damage

Opioid Crisis: 78 people die each day

Believe in the Possible: A Vision of Tomorrow's Health Care

Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice, 7th edition published (the word nursing was replaced with therapy for this edition)

INS 2016 Vascular Access Virtual Conference May 18 first live-streamed virtual conference

Virtual Conference: The Spectrum of Sepsis November 4

2017 Annual Meeting Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis Convention Center May 6-9

2017 2016

2016-2017 Richelle Hamblin

Transferring Knowledge into Practice

INS 2017 Virtual: Risky Business in Infusion Practice May 9

2018

INS 2018 Virtual Conference: Infusion Nursing: Why We Do What We Do May 22

Virtual Conference: Culture of Collaboration in Infusion Therapy November 2

INS publishes the first INSider

One Day Program: Are You Ready for USP General Chapter <800>? November 3

2016 Annual Meeting

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Greater Ft. Lauderdale/ Broward County Conv. Center May 14-19

INS streams meeting to live audience for the first time!

Las Vegas mass shooting: 58 people died, hundreds injured

2018 Annual Meeting Cleveland, OH Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland May 19-22

2018-2019 Felicia Schaps

Leaving Things Better Than You Found Them

2019-2020 Lynn Deutsch

Every Nurse's Journey: Lifelong Learning

2019 Annual Meeting Baltimore, MD Baltimore Convention Center May 18-21

INS 2019 Virtual Conference: Strong Nurse Strong Practice May 21

One Day Program: Advancing Oncology Practice November 1

An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) began in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019.

2020

Hundreds of thousands of farmers protest in Delhi.

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

2020 became The Year of the Nurse

INS 2020 Virtual Conference September

Due to COVID-19, the Annual Meeting was fully live-streamed over multiple days

2020-2021 Angie Sims Ignite the Flame

2020 Annual Meeting Virtual September 3, 10, 17, 24

First time INS has had to cancel an in-person meeting

2021-2022

Sue Weaver

ReSEARCH Your Passion

2021 Annual Meeting

Las Vegas, NV

Paris Las Vegas Hotel

August 14-17

Resetting the Standards: Examining the 2021 Changes

Virtual Conference: February 18-19

Promoting Vessel Health and Preservation Through Vein Visualization: June 29-30

Longest-reigning royal dies in United Kingdom

2022-2024

Inez Nichols

Embracing the Future

Virtual Conference Infusion Therapy Related Complications March 2-3

INS 2022 Virtual Conferences June 5-6

Virtual Conference Addressing the Current Challenges in Infusion Medication Safety October 26-27

2023 Annual Meeting Boston, MA Sheraton Boston Hotel

April 1-4

2021

Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice, 8th edition (revision cycle every 3 years begins)

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Therapy: Acute Care, 6th edition published

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Therapy: Older Adult, 4th edition published

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Therapy: Neonate to Adolescent, 3rd edition published

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Therapy: Ambulatory Infusion Centers, 2nd edition published

Policy and Procedures for Infusion Therapy: Home Infusion, 2nd edition published

United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan

2022 Annual Meeting

Orlando, FL

Rose Shingle Creek Orlando June 4-7

Key Resources

Annual Meeting

In recent years, INS has instituted a call for abstracts to highlight original research, quality improvement projects, evidence-based practice, or innovation within our practice. INS has collaborated with many other health care professional organizations, such as the Oncology Nurses Society, National Home Infusion Association, the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Canadian Vascular Access Association, and the National Hospice Palliative Care Organization to increase the scope of educational offerings. The National Council on Education (NCOE) collaborates with the education department to develop educational content for the annual meeting. NCOE members are active members of INS with a minimum of two years clinical experience in infusion nursing and experience in the development of educational programs. The global reach offered by the call for abstracts has also benefited INS by increasing the rigor, depth, and breadth of our education.

Current opportunities for learning at the annual meeting:

• Hands on pre-conference workshops, such as the Right Line, Right Now and events in the exhibit hall

• Expansion of number of concurrent sessions to choose from

• An alternative site track offering sessions specific to home infusion, skilled nursing, and outpatient settings

• The veINS track which focuses on specific sessions related to vascular access and factors impacting the vasculature and our practice of infusion therapy

• Partner presentations and symposiums at the annual meeting hosted by our industry partners engaging our attendees with the latest developments and technologies relevant to infusion therapy practice

• Domestic as well as international presenters

LeaRNing Center

INS continues to build the LeaRNing Center by adding new webinars, virtual education, podcasts, and other education and resources.

https://www.learningcenter.ins1.org

Webinars

Live webinars are presented by experts in their specialty and then available on-demand. These webinars address current research and challenges in all practice settings, including health care professional well-being, peripheralcatheter bundles, hypersensitivity reactions, phlebitis, and monoclonal antibody administration at home. The majority of webinars provide continuing education credit as well as recertification units. Webinars are free for members while some are free for nonmembers.

https://www.learningcenter.ins1.org/webinars

Virtual Symposiums/Conference Education

Virtual symposiums consisting of 5 sessions over 2 days are an excellent option to learn about current issues and gain continuing education credits and recertification units. Some symposium topics are examining and applying the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice, infusion related complications, addressing vessel health and preservation, and addressing challenges in infusion medication safety. To provide an opportunity for those who are not able to attend the annual meeting in person, conferences sessions can be watching virtually live or on-demand.

https://www.learningcenter.ins1.org/virtual-infusion-education

Podcasts

The Infusion Room offers a variety of clinical and health care work environment topics. Conversations with industry partners discuss new developments and technologies, clinical and health care related topics such as antimicrobial stewardship, infection prevention in the home setting, vascular access, CRNI® certification, healthy work environment, moral distress, and the history and future of nursing.

https://www.learningcenter.ins1.org/podcasts

Fundamentals of Infusion Therapy (FIT) Program

The FIT program, consisting of 8 modules, was developed in alignment with the INS’ Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice to provide learners with foundational knowledge of infusion therapy. This program is suited for nurses who are new to nursing practice, as well as experienced nurses wishing to advance their knowledge of infusion therapy best practices. This on-demand, virtual continuing education approved program engages learners as they increase their knowledge and confidence to practice infusion therapy. https://www.ins1.org/about-us/fit/

Journal of Infusion Nursing

Journal of Infusion Nursing (JIN), the official publication of the Infusion Nurses Society now in its 46th year, continues to be a popular membership benefit, and seeks to promote excellence in infusion nursing by presenting new research, clinical reviews, case studies, and professional development information relevant to the practice of infusion therapy. The editorial department continues to solicit articles for publication that represent the broad scope of the infusion specialty and draw on the expertise of all health care providers who participate in the delivery of infusion therapy.

Articles that appear in the Journal of Infusion Nursing are selected by a process of double-blind peer review. The editorial department continually seeks new reviewers and welcomes those interested to apply for this role.

The JIN Editorial Review Board (ERB) members are volunteers who serve as representatives of JIN, INS, and the larger infusion therapy community of caregivers for our patients, their families, and the public. Their role includes performing manuscript reviews, supporting manuscript acquisition, and advising editors on the vision, direction, strategy, and evidence-based focus of JIN. The ERB continues to expand its membership and breadth of impact.

Indexing: Journal of Infusion Nursing is cited in Clarivate Web of Science Core Collection ESCI, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature(CINAHL), EBSCO A-Z, EMBASE, HINARI, JournalGuide, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and TDNet.

Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice

Now on a 3-year cycle, INS seats a Standards of Practice Committee, which consists of highly knowledgeable clinicians with a wide range of infusion and vascular access expertise. The committee gathers the necessary articles, coalesces and appraises the research, and revises the Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice based on the most current available research.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

To ensure that INS is supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the infusion community, we established a standing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force in 2021. Its goal is to plan and execute meaningful actions and ensure that DEI is integrated within the organization and not a standalone initiative. INS affirms our belief that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Further, we acknowledge and embrace our obligation to advance equal and effective care for all people. Inclusiveness is one of INS’ core values. We are committed to listening to the diverse voices within the infusion nursing community and we look for opportunities to address bias and intolerance in health care.

Certification

INCC continues to ensure that a legally defensible and psychometrically sound exam that reflects current infusion nursing practice is administered. Study references such as the CRNI® Academy are constantly reviewed and revised. CRNI® Academy combines information from four CRNI® study resources (Core Curriculum for Infusion Nursing, Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice, Infusion Nursing: An Evidence-Based Approach, and Policies and Procedures for Infusion Therapy Acute Care) into one comprehensive, online study tool for the CRNI® exam. It includes sample exam questions, hundreds of flashcards, a personalized study plan, and intelligent gamification tools. CRNI®s continue to have many options to earn the necessary recertification units (RUs), including from in-person annual meetings and many other virtual options.

Members’ Testimonials

After 50 years, the Infusion Nurses Society has become a community of over 5,000 members across the globe. It includes nurses and health care professionals from all practice settings who are involved in or interested in the specialty practice of infusion therapy. Through in-person conferences, online learning, publications, and more, INS provides resources to navigate the rapid technological advances and dramatic shifts in health care delivery.

In these short testimonials from two members, Anne Corrigan, a long-time INS member from the United States, discusses her first INS meeting in San Francisco in 1978, her involvement in writing the first certification exam, and her favorite aspects of INS; and Amanda Saba, a newer INS member from Brazil, discusses how and when she heard of INS and why she values her membership.

On a very small scale, they are representative of INS members. Here’s to another 50 years!

Ann Corrigan

has been a registered nurse since graduating from Villanova University in 1970, and holds a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the Hartford Graduate Center. Ann has worked in pediatrics, as a manager of oncology services, as a manager of IV therapy, as a clinical instructor for a nursing program, and as a customer service manager for a sterile processing division. Ann retired in 2018, and now resides in Ocala, Florida.

Ann became involved with the National Intravenous Therapy Association, now the Infusion Nurses Society, in 1978.

In 1982, she was the continuing education chair for the 1982 convention. She has served NITA/INS on the board of directors and was president of the organization from 1984-1985. She also served on the Standards Committee several times and was chair of two of the committees. She was a contributing author and editor to several versions of the INS textbook on infusion nursing and one of the editors for the 2010 edition.

Ann was on the credentialing board that developed the certification examination and a member of the group that became certified infusion nurses in 1985. She was a contributing author and editor to several versions of the Core Curriculum for Infusion Nursing and on the item writers board for a number of years. She also served on the INCC board of directors from 2001-2011: she was chair of the board 5 of those years.

Amanda Saba

has 8 years of experience in vascular access, in both public and private hospitals. As a vascular access nurse she has assisted in the planning of patient care, including both intrinsic and extrinsic factors of intravenous therapy. She has been involved in protocol development, implementation of measures for devices and complications, preventive and educational actions, application of technology to optimize care, and research projects to improve decision making, among others. She has taught for 4 years in theoretical and practical areas of nursing with a focus on intensive care. She is a member of the Infusion Nurses Society and the Nursing Nursing Economic Dimension Management Group at the School of Nursing at the University of São Paulo (USP).