Pediatric Infusion Center

The Pediatric Infusion Center is located on the 4th floor of the North Tower of UF Health Shands Hospital.  Peds infusion consists of 16 private infusion chairs.  Each space is equipped for non-invasive blood pressure monitoring and continuous pulse oximetry.

Family centered care is provided to patients in the Pediatric Infusion Center, allowing one parent/guardian to remain with their child for the duration of the infusion.  Hours of operation are 8:00 am – 6:30 pm Monday through Friday.  The Pediatric Infusion Center is closed on all Shands recognized holidays.

Description of Patient Populations

Patients are seen in the infusion room as scheduled appointments.  The Pediatric Infusion Center provides infusion services for a variety of pediatric diagnoses, including hematological, oncological, immunological, malignant, and metabolic disorders.  The ages of the patients served are new born to young adults.

Nursing Care

Nursing care is directed toward the prevention and treatment of infusion related complications by focusing on assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, treatment, and evaluation of patients in the Pediatric Infusion center.  Nurses utilize the nursing process to facilitate positive outcomes in the areas of treatment related side effects, pain management, administration and management of intensive medication therapies, e.g. Chemotherapy, biological response modifiers, monoclonal antibodies, immunosuppressive and immunizing agents, blood and blood components. In addition, nurses provide patient and family education and support throughout the treatment process. All Nurses are required to complete a chemotherapy course.

Health Care Team

The Medical Director is appointed by the chairman of the Department of Pediatrics.  The Medical Director is board certified in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology.  Patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team consisting of attending physician, fellow, residents, interns, physician assistants, nurse practioners from a variety of pediatric specialties as well as medical students, registered nurses, transplant coordinators, pharmacists, child life specialists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists,  occupational therapists, social workers, case managers, registered dieticians, chaplains, and patient and family services representatives.

The mentoring of staff, the participation in education in-services, and the commitment to the team approach to care fosters a collaborative atmosphere. The infusion room nurses make patient assignments based on the identification of patient care needs and competency levels of the RN’s. The Pediatric Infusion Center is part of the Pediatric Specialties Clinic, which is operated through the University of Florida. Referrals to all hospital services and outside agencies are coordinated as appropriate by the multidisciplinary team members.

The management team of Unit 42 provides nursing management in the Infusion Center. The nursing management structure for the unit consists of a Nurse Manager, Clinical Leader, and Clinical Coordinator.  The management team provides training experiences to maintain staff competency as defined by the unit and role specific job descriptions, and the departmental education plan.  A Unit Assistant provides administrative support to the unit management team and functions under the direction of the nurse manager.

Staffing Plan

Budgeted clinical staff for the Pediatric Infusion Center is seven FTEs. The skill mix is 8 RNs. The staffing ratio of RNs: patients are 1:3-4. Additional unit based considerations for staffing needs include:

  • amount of patient/family teaching needs and the degree of complexity
  • amount of patient/family anxiety
  • impact of complex social situations
  • number and complexity of medications and procedures

Additional staffing needs are met by inpatient RN coverage. Requests for Paid Time Off (PTO) will be reviewed on a case by case basis and will take into account the staffing needs of the unit. Requests are granted only if minimum staffing numbers are maintained with coverage that provides for patient safety. Staff attendance at meetings, educational offerings, and other activities are coordinated so that patient care coverage is continuous, as reflected on the daily schedule. Refer to Department Plan or Policy, as applicable.

Reviewed and Revised: 01/05/2021

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Jennifer Zimmerman, RN, explaining to a parent and her daughter how to use a bedside asthma action plan.