Essential Information
IV therapy certificate programs can typically qualify as continuing education for licensure purposes. Qualified applicants can obtain IV therapy certifications through professional nursing organizations. IV therapy nurses can earn voluntary industry certifications through various organizations. The National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses (www.nflpn.org) offers an IV Therapy and Gerontology certification. Additionally, the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (www.incc1.org) offers a Certified Registered Nurse Infusion credential. To qualify for professional IV certification, applicants must generally be licensed registered or practical nurses, have completed a minimum number of working hours in IV therapy and pass an exam.
IV Therapy Certification
IV therapy certificate program topics of study include refresher courses in anatomy, physiology and health care laws. Students also usually have supervised clinical work. Class topics include:
- IV solution concentrations
- IV preparation and vein selection
- Patient complications from IV therapy
- Central access techniques and central line care in IV therapy
- IV therapies for specific disease control
- Health care legalities and regulations
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov), in May 2019 the median annual salary for registered nurses was $73,300, and the median annual salary for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses was $47,480. LPNs and RNs are a part of a growing industry. The BLS predicts that the employment of registered nurses would grow by 7% and for licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses by 9% between 2019 and 2029, a rate that is much faster than the average of all careers.
RNs and LPNs who either want, or need to learn how to set up IV therapy need to go through an IV therapy certificate program or earn a voluntary industry certification from one of the many nursing organizations. These programs help nurses learn about and improve their skills preparing and administering IV therapy.
