Certificate Program
Home Infusion Therapy
This certificate series provides the home care nurse with the essential knowledge to safely care for patients with vascular access devices and to provide and teach home infusion therapy.
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About this Certificate Program
Home care nurses must possess a high level of knowledge and skills to safely insert and manage vascular access devices, provide infusions via an array of infusion methods, recognize and respond to complications, and provide patient and caregiver education. The prevalence of providing infusion therapy in the home setting continues to grow as the evidence supports the overall safety and positive patient outcomes. In fact, in the 2024 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice, a new home infusion therapy standard was published, supporting the practice and providing evidence-based practice recommendations for home infusion. Through this certificate program, the nurse will acquire the requisite knowledge and develop confidence in providing home infusion care and educating patients/caregivers. The nurse will also develop the critical thinking required to identify, prevent, and manage potential infusion-related complications in the home. Also available to nurses completing this certificate course are optional videos of infusion-related skills with accompanying competency checklists.
Target audience
This certificate program is designed for registered nurses who manage patients with vascular access devices and ongoing infusion administration needs. While focusing specifically on nurses who provide direct care for these home care patients, nurses who work in transition planning, quality, and management positions will also benefit from the information in this certificate program.
Goals & objectives
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Understand the scope of home infusion therapy and factors that contribute to safe practice and good patient outcomes
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Improve knowledge of vascular access devices and ongoing care and management requirements
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Identify potential complications of vascular access devices and infusion administration, actions to take in the event of their occurrence, and proactive interventions to prevent their occurrence
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Develop confidence in providing patient and caregiver education
What’s included in the Certificate Program
Accredited Online Courses*
8 hours of online video lectures and patient demonstrations.
HEP and Patient Education
HEP and patient education resources to use with your patients.
Interactive Learning Assessments
Case-based quizzes to evaluate and improve clinical reasoning.
Certificate Program overview
Section 1
Home Infusion Therapy 6 ItemsIntroduction to Home Infusion Therapy Course
Chapter 1: The Scope of Home Infusion Therapy
This chapter provides an overview of the categories of infusions that may be administered in the home setting.
Chapter 2: Home Infusion Therapy Resources
Resources for the home infusion nurse are provided. The 2024 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice is highlighted along with other applicable practice guidelines. Information about selected professional organizations, such as the Infusion Nurses Society and the Association for Vascular Access, is also provided.
Chapter 3: A Model for Safe Home Infusion Therapy
The author’s Model for Safe Home Infusion Therapy is described in the context of evidence supported in the 2024 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice.
Vascular Access Devices: Peripheral Catheters Course
Chapter 1: Peripheral Catheters: Categories
This chapter provides an overview of three categories of peripheral IV catheters. This includes short versus long peripheral catheters and midline catheters, which are increasingly used for shorter courses of home IV antibiotic therapy.
Chapter 2: Short Peripheral IV Catheter and Site Selection
Attention to an appropriate catheter size and selecting the best insertion site for short PIVCs is important when considering both the safety of the home care patient and optimizing catheter dwell time.
Chapter 3: Short Peripheral Catheter Insertion
Important to the actual insertion of a short peripheral catheter is attending to procedures to reduce the risk for infection, including skin antisepsis and aseptic insertion. Catheter securement and dressings are important to reduce the risk for both infection and inadvertent catheter dislodgment. Often under-addressed, pain management strategies should be considered during the insertion procedure.
Chapter 4: Post-Insertion Care and Management
Post-insertion care includes attention to maintaining catheter patency, infection prevention, including needleless connector disinfection, and rotation of short peripheral catheters. For midline catheters with longer dwell time, ongoing site care is done minimally on a weekly basis. Prompt recognition of complications is accomplished through ongoing home care nurse assessment and through patient education.
Vascular Access Devices: External Central Vascular Access Devices Course
Chapter 1: External CVADs: Categories
This chapter provides an overview of three categories of external CVADs: nontunnelled, peripherally inserted central catheters, and subcutaneously tunneled cuffed catheters.
Chapter 2: Assessment
Ongoing assessment is important in identifying potential CVAD complications. Assessment includes the components of site/extremity visualization, palpation, and identification of any patient symptoms or complaints.
Chapter 3: Post-insertion Care and Management
Post-insertion care includes attention to maintaining catheter patency; infection prevention, including catheter hub care; routine site care; and use of a securement intervention. Patient education addressing site protection and identification of potential complications is essential.
Chapter 4: CVAD Removal
CVADs can be safely removed in the home when risks such as air embolism and thrombotic clots are understood. This session addresses key procedural interventions for safe catheter removal.
Vascular Access Devices: Implanted Vascular Access Ports Course
Chapter 1: Types of Implanted Vascular Access Ports
Implanted ports may have one or two lumens and may be power-injectable, and there are ports with very specific indications. They may be placed in the chest or an extremity. The home care nurse must possess an understanding of differences and must use sound processes in port identification.
Chapter 2: Assessment and Implanted Port Access
Prior to port access, it is important to assess the port and its locations and address the patient’s need for pain management during the access procedure. Critical aspects of the actual port access procedure include skin antisepsis, needle selection, and establishment of patency.
Chapter 3: Potential Complications
Complications include infection, catheter-associated thrombosis, catheter malposition, and infiltration or extravasation. Prevention, identification, and interventions in the event of a complication are addressed.
Infusion Therapy: Complications Course
Chapter 1: Local Complications Associated With Vascular Access Devices
This chapter addresses complications including phlebitis, infiltration/extravasation, and nerve injury. The focus is on identifying, preventing, and intervening in the event of a complication.
Chapter 2: Complications Associated With Central Vascular Access Devices
This chapter addresses complications specific to central vascular access devices, including catheter occlusion, catheter-associated thrombosis, CVAD tip migration, and catheter damage. The focus is on identifying, preventing, and intervening in the event of a complication.
Chapter 3: Systemic Complications Associated With Infusion Therapy or a Vascular Access Device
In this chapter, two serious but preventable systemic complications—bloodstream infection and air embolism—are addressed. The focus is on identifying, preventing, and intervening in the event of a complication.
Infusion Therapy Administration Course
Chapter 1: Safe Medication Practices
This session focuses on practices including reviewing provider orders, verifying infusion medications or solutions in the home, and medication reconciliation. It also addresses the issue of when/how to do independent double checks of high-risk medications in the home.
Chapter 2: Infusion Administration: Reducing Risk for Complications
In this session, interventions to reduce the risk for complications during home infusion therapy are addressed. This includes a review of Aseptic Non Touch Technique during infusion, compounding and preparation of infusion medications, setting up the infusion in a home setting, use of SASH, and putting a plan in place for monitoring for complications relative to the home infusion medication(s).
Chapter 3: Common Home Infusion Methods
This session reviews the most common home infusion administration methods, with attention to advantages and disadvantages of each.
Chapter 4: Patient Education and Home Infusion
Effective patient education is critical to optimizing outcomes. Identifying potential barriers or facilitators to learning is essential in developing the patient education plan. Education should be consistent, with attention to plain language, and learning evaluated using evidence-based strategies.
Section 2
Optional Skills/Competency Checklist 1 ItemOptional Skills/Competency Checklist Text And Links
Section 3
Supplementary Material 1 ItemAdditional Resources Text And Links
Instructors
Lisa A. Gorski
MS, RN, HHCNS-BC, CRNI, FAAN
CEU approved
8
total hours*
of accredited coursework.
Medbridge accredits each course individually so you can earn CEUs as you progress.
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Browse PlansFrequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Certificate Programs.
Accreditation Hours
Each course is individually accredited and exact hours will vary by state and discipline. Check each course for specific accreditation for your license.
When do I get my certificate?
You will receive accredited certificates of completion for each course as you complete them. Once you have completed the entire Certificate Program you will receive your certificate for the program.
Do I get CEU credit?
Each course is individually accredited. Please check each course for your state and discipline. You can receive CEU credit after each course is completed.
Do I have to complete the courses in order?
It is not required that you complete the courses in order. Each Certificate Program's content is built to be completed sequentially but it is not forced to be completed this way.
How long do I have access to the Certificate Program?
You will have access to this Certificate Program for as long as you are a subscriber. Your initial subscription will last for one year from the date you purchase.
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