Learning Center

Lisa Gorski has worked for over 35 years as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS)/educator for Wheaton Franciscan Home Health and Hospice, now Ascension at Home. Lisa is the author of more than 70 book chapters and journal articles and is the author of several books. She has served as the INS president from 2007-2008 and as the chair of the INS Standards of Practice Committee from 2009 to 2021, and is the cochair for the 2024 Standards. She is also the leader of the INS Vesicant Task Force. She speaks nationally and internationally on standards development, home health care, and infusion therapy/vascular access.

Barb Nickel is a clinical nurse specialist at a health care center in Nebraska. She is responsible for staff development, competency assessment, and process improvement to optimize outcomes in multiple areas of clinical practice, including critical care, infusion therapy, sepsis, and new graduate transition to practice. Barb has presented nationally on infusion-related topics, is a coauthor of the 2021 Infusion Nurses Society Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice, is the chair of the INS Standard of Practice Committee for the 2024, 9th edition of the Standards, and has authored several publications on infusion therapy in the critical care setting. She also serves as faculty in a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, in areas of critical care and chronic illness.

Ruth Van Gerpen, MS, RN, APRN-CNS, AOCNS, PGMT-BC, is a clinical nurse specialist for oncology in Lincoln, Nebraska. An RN for 45 years, she has over 37 years of experience in oncology with subspecialties in pain management and vascular access. She retired in January 2022. Ruth has been responsible for education related to cancer; pain management and vascular access; improvement of patient outcomes through implementation of evidence-based practice; and leadership in the development of comprehensive clinical practice standards, programs, and services. In 2020, Jennie Ong and Ruth published “Recommendations for Management of Noncytotoxic Vesicant Extravasations,” providing an updated list of noncytotoxic vesicants with recommended antidote and compress therapy.   She remains active on the local and national levels of the Oncology Nursing Society and continues to peer review and publish.