RxToolKit Blog

a forum for medication safety

& clinical competency.

a forum for medication safety

& clinical competency.

Hope for Second Victims Where is RaDonda Vaught now?

Hope for Second Victims: Where is RaDonda Vaught now?

Two years after RaDonda Vaught was found guilty of negligent homicide and abuse of an impaired adult due to a medication error, she came forward in an interview with the World Socialist Web Site to share her account of the event and how she got through such an unimaginable experience.

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RaDonda Vaught's Story Versed Versus Vecuronium

RaDonda Vaught’s Story: Versed vs. Vecuronium

Two years ago, a Nashville nurse was convicted of negligent homicide and impaired adult abuse after accidentally administering the wrong medication to a patient. Read the full facts of RaDonda Vaught’s case, including the support she recieved from hundreds of nurses and how her story sparked change across the country.

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Intro to Infusion: IV Calculations & Dosage Conversions

IV Calculations & Dosage Conversions

Dive into a list of the most common abbreviations and dosage conversions seen in infusion medication administration with Bailey Klingaman as she walks through frequently used IV formulas and calculations clinicians in the field should be familiar with. Understanding proper medication administration, including the calculations necessary to safely administer drugs

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Enhancing Medication Error Surveillance for Improved Patient Safety

Enhancing Medication Error Surveillance for Improved Patient Safety

In this article, Dr. Jill Paslier, PharmD, CSP, FISMP analyzes the benefits of medication error surveillance and how it can enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes. Dr. Paslier provides three key components to implementing a successful MES program, and highlights the probable outcomes of increased monitoring. Introduction to Medication

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Guiding Providers Through the Complexities of Ig Therapy for Patient Safety

Guiding Providers Through the Complexities of Ig Therapy for Patient Safety

IgNS President/CEO Luba Sobolevsky and Director of Educational Resources Rachel Colletta explore the factors that make immunoglobulin therapy so complex, and the different solutions and resources clinicians can use to ensure safe and effective treatment. The Immunoglobulin National Society (IgNS) emerged in 2012 as the leading multidisciplinary association for healthcare

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Why, Who & How: Infusion Center Accreditation

Why, Who & How: Infusion Center Accreditation

NICA Accreditation Program Director Edie Gigot, MSN, RN, MBA explains the importance of established standards in healthcare and expands on the National Infusion Center Association’s Standards of Excellence for Ambulatory Infusion Centers. Edie also explores the application of these standards in infusion center accreditation, discussing the why, who, and how

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Intro to Infusion: The Infusion Nurse & the Pharmacist

The Infusion Nurse & the Pharmacist

Bailey Klingaman explores the definitions of infusion nurses and pharmacists, the responsibilities that come with their titles, and how to enter the professions. Thank you to Pamela Jones McIntyre, MSN, RN, CRNI, OCN, Ig-CN, VA-BC and Chuck DiTrapano, RPh for their contributions on why to enter the field and pursue

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IV Therapy Advocacy Through the Lens of a Nurse

IV Therapy Advocacy Through the Lens of a Nurse

Marlene M. Steinheiser, PhD, RN, CRNI®, shares her personal experiences with self-advocacy in infusion therapy. As a seasoned infusion professional, Dr. Steinheiser has not only advocated for her own safety and educated the clinicians around her,  but has extended her guidance to family, teaching others how to ensure they receive

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The Past, Present, and Future of IV Therapy

The Past, Present, and Future of IV Therapy

Bailey Klingaman explores the history of intravenous infusion therapy and the path to modern treatments. Deb DiTrapano, MSN, RN, OCN predicts the implementation of artificial intelligence in infusion therapy and discusses the effects of the nurse shortage. In the 600 years since infusion therapy was first documented, there have been

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Does Your Practice Have a Culture of Safety? - 3 Questions to Ask

Does Your Practice Have a Culture of Safety? – 3 Questions to Ask

Chuck DiTrapano, RPh and Bailey Klingaman explore the meaning of a culture of safety in clinical organizations. By understanding the motivation of clinicians and application of technology to the practice, organizations can assess the value of safety to its company culture. Having been a healthcare professional for a very long time,

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6 Key Characteristics of a Successful Infusion Center Cover Image

6 Key Characteristics of a Successful Infusion Center

Chuck DiTrapano, RPh discusses how competence, confidence, consistency, culture, creativity, and communication work together to make an infusion center successful. There have been many improvements in the outpatient infusion market in recent years. The good news is that patients can now achieve a higher quality of life even when they

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