Intravenous medication administration is associated with a higher risk of complications and medication errors compared with other routes of drug delivery. Such errors may negatively affect both patients and healthcare professionals, particularly nurses responsible for medication administration. Although only a small proportion of these errors result in severe patient outcomes, even minor incidents may lead to significant physical, psychological and professional consequences for nursing staff. Phlebitis and extravasation are among the most common adverse complications associated with intravenous therapy. Nurses play a critical role in monitoring intravenous medication administration, alleviating patient discomfort and preventing the occurrence of extravasation and related complications through the application of appropriate clinical techniques and preventive strategies, thereby improving patient safety and quality of life. The incidence of extravasation in adults has been estimated to range from 0.1% to 6%. Several reports suggest that the frequency of extravasation events has decreased in recent years due to improvements in infusion technologies, early detection of medication leakage, adherence to safe administration protocols and enhanced staff education and training regarding prevention and management strategies. Nevertheless, despite the implementation of preventive measures, including standardized administration procedures, institutional regulations and continuous healthcare staff education, extravasation remains a clinically important complication of intravenous therapy.