[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Are you exploring an infusion nursing career? IV infusion nurses practice infusion therapy, administering intravenous fluids and medications. Their job titles may include IV nurse, IV therapy nurse, chemotherapy infusion nurse, and oncology infusion nurse.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Benefits of the profession include flexibility and the ability to work in a variety of settings, including home healthcare, hospitals, long-term care facilities, and private practice.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]IV Infusion Nurse Career Summary[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]IV infusion nurses work as part of collaborative teams of healthcare professionals providing treatment that must be administered by intravenous methods. They provide IV infusions to patient populations across all age groups with a focus on improving patient outcomes.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Responsibilities and duties of IV infusion nurses include:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-grid columns-md=”2″ gap=”md”] [/hen-ui-grid][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Where Do IV Infusion Nurses Work?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Workplace settings for IV infusion nurses include outpatient pharmacies and surgical centers, infusion centers, and patient homes, along with specialty clinics and hospital units.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”bullet”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”xxs”] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-icon icon=”minus” color=”primary” aria-hidden=”true” /]Home Infusion Nurse[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Home infusion nurses enjoy flexible schedules and travel to clients’ homes to perform patient assessments, develop care plans, and administer one-on-one infusion therapy.[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-flex][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”xxs”] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-icon icon=”minus” color=”primary” aria-hidden=”true” /]Oncology Infusion Nurse[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Administering IV treatment to cancer patients in inpatient and outpatient settings, oncology infusion nurses review lab results and assess patients, follow chemotherapy and other applicable infusion protocols, and collaborate with patients’ healthcare teams.[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-flex][/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”xxs”] [hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-icon icon=”minus” color=”primary” aria-hidden=”true” /]Clinical Trials Infusion Nurse[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]These professionals provide case management of patients participating in clinical trials, administering drug infusions, monitoring patient responses, and communicating with the principal investigator of the study. Travel may be involved in this work.[/hen-ui-text] [/hen-ui-flex][/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Why Become an IV Infusion Nurse?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Like any career, IV infusion nursing work comes with benefits and drawbacks. For this profession however, the pros seem to outweigh the cons.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]How to Become an IV Infusion Nurse[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Becoming an IV infusion nurse involves four steps: earning a nursing degree, obtaining an RN license, logging work experience, and pursuing certification.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]How Much Do IV Infusion Nurses Make?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Infusion_Nurse/Hourly_Rate” target=”_blank”]PayScale[/hen-ui-link] lists the average annual salary for IV infusion nurses as $71,570. However, readers should be advised that only a low number of infusion nurses reported salaries.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that RNs in general earn a median annual salary of $75,330.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Infusion nurse salaries can vary according to geographical location, certification, education level, and work setting. For example, [hen-ui-link href=”https://nursejournal.org/state/california/”]California[/hen-ui-link] RNs earn the highest salaries nationwide and travel infusion nurses may make more than other categories of infusion nurses.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Frequently Asked Questions About IV Infusion Nurses[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Is infusion nursing stressful?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Because infusion nursing schedules tend to follow a traditional work week, with weekends and holidays off, and some positions offer scheduling flexibility, infusion nursing tends to be less stressful than other nursing specialties. Nurses often transition to infusion nursing roles after working in high-intensity environments, such as emergency and acute care.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What kinds of questions are on the CRNI exam?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.ins1.org/crni-certification/exam/” target=”_blank”]CRNI examination[/hen-ui-link] comprises 140 multiple-choice questions that test examinees’ recall of information to solve problems or address situations. Questions cover three core areas: 36 questions each on principles of practice and access devices, and 48 questions about infusion therapies.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What nursing specialties are similar to infusion nursing?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]IV Infusion nurses can gain experience in specialties where nurses administer intravenous medications, treatments, and fluids, including emergency nursing, intensive care, [hen-ui-link href=”/careers/oncology-nurse/”]oncology [/hen-ui-link], pediatrics, and surgery. In these and other settings, like long-term care and medical day spas, nurses can master their IV insertion and infusion therapy skills.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What types of conditions are treated by IV therapy?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Nurses use IV therapy within a large spectrum of treatments, such as those involving blood transfusions, types of cancers treatable with chemotherapy, ailments requiring antibiotics, and conditions eased with electrolyte or vitamin infusions.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Related Pages[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-article-row variant=”slider” ids=”33940,41718,33995,34374″][/hen-ui-article-row][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Reviewed by:[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, CCRN, RN” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/e_grayscale/v1629922631/experts/Shrilekha_Deshaies.jpg” img-alt=”Shrilekha Deshaies, MSN, CCRN, RN” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrilekha-deshaies-57008133/” target=”_blank”]Shri Deshaies[/hen-ui-link] is a nurse educator with over 20 years of experience teaching in hospital, nursing school, and community settings. Deshaies’ clinical area of expertise is [hen-ui-link href=”/careers/critical-care-nurse/how-to-become/”]critical care nursing[/hen-ui-link] and she is a certified critical care nurse. She has worked in various surgical ICUs throughout her career, including cardiovascular, trauma, and neurosurgery.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”]Shri Deshaies is a paid member of the Red Ventures Education freelance review network. Learn more about our review partners [hen-ui-link href=”/healthcare-review-partners//”]here[/hen-ui-link].[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex]