Learning Center
Intravenous Smart Pumps: Addressing Accuracy Challenges and Solutions
Includes a Live Web Event on 09/10/2025 at 1:00 PM (EDT)
Intravenous (IV) smart pumps revolutionized medication delivery when they were first introduced, dramatically improving precision compared to gravity infusions. However, decades later, the same core technology has not kept pace with the increasing complexity of medications, workflows, and patient needs. This session will trace the evolution of IV smart pumps, explore the factors influencing flow rate accuracy, and discuss why historical designs present challenges in modern clinical contexts. Participants will learn how different pump technologies affect performance and identify practical strategies to minimize risk and enhance patient outcomes.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:
• Articulate what flow rate accuracy means and how it can impact patient safety
• Discuss the types of IV pump technology, their historical development, and their impact on flow rate accuracy
• Describe clinically relevant factors that impact flow rate accuracy
• Discuss strategies for improving patient safety in the context of legacy design constraints and future innovations.
Jeannine Blake, PhD, RN
Jeannine Blake, PhD, RN, is a nurse scientist with a clinical background in surgical intensive care nursing and a passion for advancing health care innovation using an interdisciplinary nurse-engineer approach. Her research focuses on improving intravenous (IV) pumping technology accuracy, flow steadiness, and usability, with a current interest in understanding the impact of alarm management on nursing time and patient experience. She is dedicated to improving patient outcomes, streamlining nursing workflows, and integrating IV pumps more effectively into real-world clinical practices.
Dr Blake earned her PhD in Nursing Science and completed a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is now an Assistant Professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing and is affiliated with the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation. She continues her research mission in this role to build evidence that informs infusion practices and optimizes nursing workflows.
Dr Blake contributes to the development of global safety standards for infusion therapy as a member of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) technical information report (TIR) Infusion Standards Committee and has been an invited clinical advisor to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Infusion Standards Working Group. For her work in this space, she is the 2025 AAMI Young Professional Award winner.
CRNI® RUs: This session has been approved for 2 CRNI® recertification units and meets the non INS Meeting criteria.
Contact Hours: This session has been approved for 1 contact hour
Expiration date for receipt of contact hours: September 10, 2028
To receive contact hours for this educational activity, you are required to attend the entire educational activity and complete the evaluation.
The Infusion Nurses Society is approved as a provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, provider #CEP14209. The certificate must be retained by the attendee for a period of 4 years.
-
Register
- Non-member - Free!
- Member - Free!
Key:
Complete
Next
Failed
Available
Locked