What to Expect on Your First Home Infusion Visit

Beginning home infusion therapy can bring a mix of emotions for patients and families. For many, receiving care at home is new territory, and questions about the process are completely normal. As a nursing staffing agency specializing in home infusion, our goal is to make every patient feel safe, supported, and confident from the very first visit.

Our infusion nurses are experienced professionals trained to provide high-quality care in the comfort of your home while working closely with your pharmacy, physician, and care team. Patient safety is always the top priority. Our nurses follow strict infection prevention and safety protocols during every visit.

Before your first nursing visit is scheduled, several important steps take place behind the scenes. Our staffing coordinators work closely with the infusion pharmacy and healthcare providers to:

• Coordinate your nursing services
• Schedule your visit based on medication timing and patient availability
• Ensure the appropriate nurse is assigned to your specific therapy needs
• Obtain physician orders and patient information
• Confirm medication and supply delivery arrangements

One of our staffing coordinators will contact you before your appointment is set for a welcome call. Once the date of appointment is set, the assigned nurse will contact you to schedule a time for the visit. We usually give a 1-hour time frame for arrival for visit.  Your visit length varies depending on your therapy. Your nurse can give you an estimate of the length of your visit.

The nurse will contact you again the day before your visit to confirm your visit and to confirm that you have received your medication and supplies from your pharmacy.

 

Day of Visit

On the day of your visit, your infusion nurse will arrive to your home within the discussed timeframe. The nurse will begin by introducing themselves, reviewing your treatment plan with you, and helping you feel comfortable with the process. First visits are often longer than routine visits because they include additional education and assessments.

Prior to starting your infusion therapy your nurse will complete an assessment that will include:

• Reviewing your medical history
• Reviewing allergies and current medications
• Evaluating your overall condition and home environment
• Verifying that all required items were received in your medication and supply delivery
• Checking baseline vital signs

 

Starting the Infusion therapy

Once your vital signs are obtained and determined within normal limits the nurse will then obtain IV access. Depending on your therapy, options for IV access may include:

• PICC lines (usually IV antibiotics/TPN/Inotropes)
• Implanted ports (Used in chronic therapies/children/difficult veins)
• Central venous catheters (usually IV antibiotics/TPN/Inotropes)
• Peripheral IVs (Most Common)

Once IV access is obtained the nurse will then start preparing the medication. The preparation depends on your therapy.  Some medications are delivered ready to infuse, while others require compounding or mixing in the home. The nurse will then start your infusion or administer your injection.

 

Monitoring and Support

Throughout the infusion, your nurse will be documenting and will observe for:

• Changes in vital signs (vital signs may be taken as often as every 15 min for some therapies)
• Medication reactions
• IV complications
• Patient comfort and response to therapy

One of the most important parts of home infusion care is patient and caregiver education. We believe informed patients feel more comfortable and confident throughout therapy.

 

During the first visit, your nurse may teach:

• How your medication works
• What to expect during the infusion
• Proper medication storage
• Signs and symptoms to report to your physician
• Signs of infection or catheter complications
• Care and protection of your IV line
• Emergency symptoms that require calling 911 or seeking emergency care

 

Patients may gradually become more independent with portions of their care over time or may be administering their own medication depending on their therapy and physician orders. If you are administering your own therapy such as IV antibiotics/TPN/Inotropes the nurse will also teach:

• Procedure for preparing medication
• Procedure for administration of medication
• Pump operation and troubleshooting if applicable

Patients receiving IV antibiotics/TPN/Inotropes will usually have a PICC line or implanted port for administration of medication. Patients receiving these therapies will require weekly visits for PICC line dressing changes, port care and labs if ordered. These visits will be short visits, usually 1 hour or less.

 

After the Infusion

At the completion of your visit, your nurse will:

• Disconnect and flush the line (IV infusion)
• Check vital signs one last time
• Dispose of supplies appropriately
• Reinforce teaching provided during the visit
• Review follow-up care instructions
• Communicate updates to the pharmacy and physician as needed
• Complete detailed clinical documentation
• Schedule your next infusion visit
• Answer any questions you may have

 

You will also be reminded of important contact information and when to report symptoms or concerns.

Home infusion nursing is about more than administering medication. It is about providing compassionate care, education, and reassurance in a familiar environment.