Forum topic

 First, I don't know what document you mean by "CDC guidelines for infusion therapy". CDC writes several guidelines that apply to aspects of infusion therapy but are not broad enough to include ALL infusion therapy. In the CDC Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter Related Infection, Mary Alexander, the INS CEO, was a member of that committee that wrote that document. CDC has also come to INS for advise on several issues, and activites as I have been invited as an INS member to participate in some of these. 

Most states now use a Scope of Practice Decision Tree model for making decisions about what is an is not within the nurses legal scope of practice. The questions in those tools includes a refeence to the practice in question being recognized by professional organizations. This is a generic way of encompassing documents such as standards, guidelines, and position papers written by all professional organizations in all specialities. INS is included in that group. If the state board writes rules, regulations, or opinions, I have seen many of those documents reference INS Standards when the practice in question is about infusion therapy or vascular access. 

Finally, as an expert witness in over 600 lawsuits over the past 19 years, I have always used the applicable version of the INS standards as the very first document I use to measure the practice of those invididuals involved in the lawsuit. I have never had a court question this use of this document and it is always included as a "learned trestise" for establishing the standard of care, which is different from the standard of practice. 

Many nurses are not familiar with the standards written by INS or any other professional organization applicable to their practice. Does that mean it does not apply to them? Absolutely not! the old saying is ignornace of the law is not excuse. This applies here. While standards of practice are not laws, and are not mandatory to follow, they are used to measure clinical practice both in the clinical setting and in a court of law. Many times, the INS standards are included as a reference in the policies and procedure I frequently see from a variety of hospital all over the country. 

The INS Standards of Practice are included in the 2014 SHEA Compendium chapter on CLABSI, many APIC documents, documents from ISMP and numerous others. 

So there is enormous "punch" for this document and it is critical for all infusion nursing practice which includes insertion of all VADs. 

Lynn

The Infusion Nurse Society is #2 on the CDC Infection Prevention web site.
http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/BSI/BSI-guidelines-2011.html
Hope this helps? Valorie