Q: What's a typical workday like for you?

A: A typical workday involves home visits to existing patients or unscheduled visits to patients who are having complications. I also meet patients and families before they are discharged from hospitals to explain home infusion services. I teach them how to administer the medication and how that child can be safe in the home with the help of infusion nursing. I work with some medically complex patients who receive intravenous feeding; others receive intravenous antibiotics, chemotherapy, hydration or medication to help them prevent infection. Their ages range from birth to young adulthood. Some patients are less medically complex and may need only six to 12 weeks of intravenous antibiotics. I also draw blood for laboratory tests and take the specimens to the hospital for testing.

Q: How does your role fit into the bigger health care picture?

A: Home infusion nursing allows children to stay out of the hospital and live in the community, go to school, be with their friends and thrive. It keeps families together. My work also enables children to come home from the hospital sooner and have fewer emergency room visits and readmissions.

Q: Who do you interact with during the course of the day?

A: I interact with patients; families; physicians; hospital staff such as nurses and discharge planners; home care nurses; and Pediatric Home Service staff, including respiratory therapists, social workers, dietitians and the medical director.

Q: Why did you become an infusion nurse?

A: I love working with pediatric patients, working with infusion and the education aspect to manage these children's care at home. It's kind of a unique skill set in the home environment.

Q: What do you like about your work?

A: I like working with the children and their families. They just bless you every day. I also like working as part of a larger health care team. I am a huge part of why these kids can stay at home and in the community.