HOSPITAL- BASED
Infusion Center Massage
Knowledge and skill development infusion center massage (ICM) programs for therapists who would like to work with patients in hospitals and infusion centers, and with the clinical teams caring for them. This program is open to massage therapists, estheticians, nurses and nurse aides.
A Greet The Day organization goal is to see the inclusion of massage during infusion center treatment available for all patients everywhere, and Greet The Day has helped facilitate the introduction of hospital-based infusion center massage programs in states across the US including California, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and Alaska.
“For some of our patients their massage is the only thing they look forward to. For many patients, even those given pain medications, their massage is the only intervention that will help to alleviate pain and enhance comfort.”
Lori Akasaka, Oncology LCSW
UCI Health, Irvine Douglas Hospital
Each therapist has a unique professional education history and work-life experience.
For some therapists completion of the Fundamentals module will meet the need in helping them operationalize a hospital-based massage infusion center program, others will need to also spend time working in the supervised infusion center massage Practicum and/or the mentored Internship.
We have those programs available for you.
ICM Fundamentals
The Infusion Center Massage Fundamentals program will help you understand the fundamentals of what you need to know to work in or start a hospital-based infusion center massage program. Working in an infusion center setting is a very fulfilling career pathway. It is also an effective gateway to building direct patient care practice-based hours for therapists who may in the future want to transition into working with inpatient populations.
The Fundamentals curriculum includes:
- Standard infusion center treatments and side effects
- Massage guidelines and protocols
- Clinical guidelines for hospital-based massage
- Hospital onboarding requirements
- Navigating the hospital environment
- Effective RN/patient intake
- RN education and clinical staff inservice
- RN and patient program surveys
- Operationalizing an infusion center hospital-based massage program; navigating gatekeepers, submitting proposals, securing funding
Course prerequisite: Completion of a S4OM approved Foundation course and also an additional 50-hours of oncology client supportive education such as MLD, aromatherapy in health care, oncology massage introduction or refresher programs, touch-energy modality such as Reiki, scar tissue mobilization, etc., or by special permission of the instructor
Course type: Recorded webinar, 8-12 hours self-paced online home study
Course schedule: Enrollment opens September 2023, to be included on a class wait list email info@greettheday.org
ICM Practicum
This Infusion Center Massage Practicum offers a unique experiential learning opportunity for massage therapists and estheticians to enhance their skills and advance their practice in the clinical care setting. This supervised ICM Practicum is a competency and confidence building experience for therapists wanting to provide hand and foot massage for oncology clients receiving treatment at an infusion treatment center and to engage with the clinical teams caring for them.
Course prerequisite: ICM Fundamentals
Location: Newport Beach, CA
Course schedule: 9am to 4pm, 2-days, April, May, June 2024
Required for enrollment: TB negative test completed within the last 12-months. All available COVID vaccinations and boosters. Physically able to walk and stand for 6-hours or more. Ability to follow instructions. Willingness to maintain a therapeutic presence while working in a busy, noisy clinical care environment.
ICM Internship
The ICM Internship program is for therapists who would like to specialize in infusion center massage, and those who may be interested in a supervisory or leadership role in bringing massage to integrative patient care services at a cancer center local to them. This mentored internship program will build your patient and clinical staff communication skills and direct patient care experience and hours.
Course prerequisite: ICM Fundamentals
Location: Infusion treatment center local to you
Course schedule: 50-hours
Required for enrollment: Health clearance and background screening for hospital on-boarding. Flu shot if onsite between October and March. All available COVID vaccinations and boosters. Physically able to walk and stand for 6-hours or more. Ability to follow instructions. Ability to maintain a therapeutic presence while working in a busy, noisy, clinical care environment.