The Adult Infusion Center is an outpatient adult unit. It has 46 infusion chairs and 1 bed. It is located on the second floor of the Shands Medical Plaza. The Infusion Center is comprised of one large open room on the south side and nine semi private rooms on the north side of the center. Average chair occupancy is 90%. The Infusion Center is open Monday through Friday 7:30am-5:30pm. The Infusion Center is closed on Shands recognized holidays.
Description of Patient Populations
Patients are seen as scheduled from the Medical Oncology clinic and other “off service” departments. The off service departments include Neurology, Nephrology, Infectious Disease, Urology, Liver Transplant, hematology, and GI. Patients are admitted to Adult Infusion for chemotherapy, IV fluids, Injections, Blood and Blood Products, Factor VIII, and other infusions as ordered by off service providers. Other than various cancers, we treat sickle cell anemia, lupus, gout, osteomyelitis, dehydration, MS, and Chron’s Disease. The unit serves only adult populations. Same day add-on services are possible as census and staffing allows.
Nursing Care
Nursing care is focused on specialized assessment, diagnosis, planning, treatment and evaluations of patients receiving various infusions. There are also specialized assessments for ports and picc lines. The nursing process is used to facilitate appropriate patient responses and outcomes to infusion related side effects, pain management, monoclonal antibodies, immunosuppressive and immunizing agents and blood and blood products. Patient and family education is provided on an ongoing basis throughout the treatment process. All Registered Nurses complete the required chemotherapy course. OCN is required two years from hire for RNs and BSN is required within three years of hire for all nurses hired after April 30, 2014. One LPN is utilized for giving IV fluids, electrolyte replacement, IVPB and nonchemotherapy injections.
Health Care Team
Medical care is coordinated through the leadership of a Medical Director from the Department of Medical Oncology. The Medical Director is board certified in medical oncology. Various multidisciplinary conferences provide a forum of physicians and other healthcare professionals from many different specialties to review patient cases and recommend the best treatments. The Department of Medical Oncology physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners provide physician coverage. Coverage is provided during all hours of operation.
Management consists of an ACU Manager, Nurse Manager and Site Supervisor. Competence is maintained in accordance with the unit/role specific job description. Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses and PCA’s provide patient care. The Registered Nurse is responsible for guiding the patient care.
Staffing Plan
Budgeted clinical staff for the Infusion Center is 22.7 FTE’s. The usual staffing ration of RNs: patients is 1:7-8. The Charge Nurse makes the patient care assignments based on the acuity of the infusions and taking into consideration primary nursing. Skill mix is 70%RN, 10% LPN, 20% PCA.
Requests for scheduled time off is reviewed case by case. It is allowed in accordance to our staffing needs. Only 2 PTO is allowed per day.
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