The Critical Role of Nurses in Intravenous Fluid Conservation

Image credit: AHVAP.org (Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals)

Baxter International’s North Cove Facility in North Carolina was severely damaged by Hurricane Helene on September 26, 2024. The temporary closure of that facility and production interruption has resulted in significant shortages in intravenous, dialysis, and irrigation fluids and supply disruption impacting health care facilities across the United States. The responsibility to effectively and responsibly manage these critical resources has fallen heavily on the shoulders of nursing teams and health care supply chain professionals.

The crucial role of nurses during shortages.

Nurses are responsible not only for administering IV fluids but also for monitoring fluid needs, assessing patient status, and adjusting plans of care accordingly. When these lifesaving fluids become scarce, nurses must ensure that every intravenous fluid or irrigation product is used wisely, balancing patient safety with resource availability.

Why conservation is essential.

The consequences of IV fluid shortages extend beyond inconvenience. Fluids such as 0.9% normal saline and Lactated Ringer’s are vital in stabilizing patients, hydrating those who cannot take fluids orally and serving as carriers for essential medications. Shortages can lead to critical delays in patient care, increased length of stay, and negative outcomes for […]

Creating a Disaster Simulation for Nursing Students

A nursing student treats a volunteer acting as a disaster victim during a high-fidelity simulation at the University of South Carolina Aiken Convocation Center. Photo courtesy of the authors.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in the United States “there were 28 weather and climate disasters in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 22 in 2020.” With the number of disasters increasing in recent years, preparedness is crucial.

Many simulationists may believe that creating a disaster simulation is complicated, expensive, and requires a lot of resources. The opposite is true if you have enough support from your organization and community. The only cost incurred during our disaster management simulation project for nursing students at our institution was the cost of make-up to create realistic wounds.

Finding a gap in student knowledge.

The first thing we did was to perform a needs assessment. We knew that our students were not well prepared in our program for caring for patients during a disaster. In the past, this area of content was never really addressed in our curriculum. As we were […]

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