A PICC insertion class is necessary before you attempt a PICC insertion, however that is not all that is required. You must have a period of supervised clinical experience by a skillful preceptor, then after your competency has been documented, you can place PICC on your own. Lynn
Our company, Infusion Knowledge, Inc., offers a PICC Qualification Program that includes didactic, as well as the availability of a supervised, hands-on PICC Clinical. Please see our website for more information.
This is a great subject and I think a subject we Picc nurses should discuss. My feeling is that in order for us to call ourselves vascular access specialist, we have to raise the bar. A class like this, and I know there are many, are useful but only as a very basic education. It may make your organization feel better having a piece of paper in your file for Joint Commission but, as far as your traning, it does little. I was trained by what I like to refer to a Master inserter. I spent years under his guidence and continuing education. As I improved through the ranks my skills developed even further. Now 10 years later I have reached that "Masters Level" and as I bring on new nurses they train according to my standards.
So what does this mean? It means this a far more complicated procedure than a class with a dummy arm can teach. Again, I'm not downplaying the role of Nancy M and PICC Excellence or Jennie D's group I just think we should look at this type of basic training as just that, basic. There are nurses being trained , getting certificates and are out there sticking with minimal support. I shutter to think. We are not doing ourselves any justice if we ourselves don't think this procedure warrants expert status.
I equate this to Karate. ( and no I don't take Karate, never have) but you sign and begin in a white belt status until you go through years of training to finally achieve your black belt...YEARS!!. You can't call yourself a Master as a white belt. So look at these classes as the white belts of PICC training. Hook up with a black belt and be taught the right way.
And please don't downplay this skill!!!....Phyisicians can't do what we do so be proud.
I would refer you to the Infusion Nursing Standard of Practice #6 Competency and Competency Validation. No one here has said that a basic eduational course is all that is required. Far from it. But this course is the beginning, followed by supervised clinical experience. The information on competency from Joint Commission, and the education world does not establish the number of successful performances of any procedure that is required to be deemed competent. That decision is left to the individual facility. Then there must be a program of assessment for ongoing competency. This should be linked to clinical outcomes with the periodic assessment changing toward the goal of improving those outcomes. We should also adhere to the established language of Benner for levels of practice - novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Lynn
WOW very well said Jack! I agree with you 100%. I was trained by a master (also hard to find), and took the basic class. I see nurses with bad practices and skills train other nurses to have bad practice and skills. It becomes a viscous cycle. Now with over 10,000 PICCs behind me and as someone that attends conferences and reads the research yes I have earned that “black belt”. I meet nurses that don’t even quote the standards right or they believe what their sales reps tell them as golden, instead of investigating and finding the real truth for themselves.
We have people in the area that offer these basic classes, when their students finish they think they need to shadow me, do a few PICCs and can now market themselves as a PICC nurse. The term PICC nurse rubs me wrong, we are Vascular Access Nurses and we do need to raise the bar. Attending these classes are complements to our ongoing growth and knowledge. I would advise anyone to really look at the class you take, is the teacher a Master or “Black Belt”? Do they just say it and you believe it? Educators like Nancy are Masters, look at all she has published and her accomplishments.Work with and seek out Masters…. so that is what you become!
I also have a strong dislike for the phrase "PICC nurse". I think it is degrading to nurses. I am an infusion nurse specialist with PICC insertion and management expertise. But don't call me a PICC nurse! Lynn
A PICC insertion class is necessary before you attempt a PICC insertion, however that is not all that is required. You must have a period of supervised clinical experience by a skillful preceptor, then after your competency has been documented, you can place PICC on your own. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
Hi Bettie,
Our company, Infusion Knowledge, Inc., offers a PICC Qualification Program that includes didactic, as well as the availability of a supervised, hands-on PICC Clinical. Please see our website for more information.
Jenny Davis
Director of Operations
Infusion Knowledge, Inc.
www.InfusionKnowledge.com
1-800-337-1545
Jenny Davis
Director of Operations
Infusion Knowledge, Inc.
www.infusionknowledge.com
1-800-337-1545
This is a great subject and I think a subject we Picc nurses should discuss. My feeling is that in order for us to call ourselves vascular access specialist, we have to raise the bar. A class like this, and I know there are many, are useful but only as a very basic education. It may make your organization feel better having a piece of paper in your file for Joint Commission but, as far as your traning, it does little. I was trained by what I like to refer to a Master inserter. I spent years under his guidence and continuing education. As I improved through the ranks my skills developed even further. Now 10 years later I have reached that "Masters Level" and as I bring on new nurses they train according to my standards.
So what does this mean? It means this a far more complicated procedure than a class with a dummy arm can teach. Again, I'm not downplaying the role of Nancy M and PICC Excellence or Jennie D's group I just think we should look at this type of basic training as just that, basic. There are nurses being trained , getting certificates and are out there sticking with minimal support. I shutter to think. We are not doing ourselves any justice if we ourselves don't think this procedure warrants expert status.
I equate this to Karate. ( and no I don't take Karate, never have) but you sign and begin in a white belt status until you go through years of training to finally achieve your black belt...YEARS!!. You can't call yourself a Master as a white belt. So look at these classes as the white belts of PICC training. Hook up with a black belt and be taught the right way.
And please don't downplay this skill!!!....Phyisicians can't do what we do so be proud.
Jack Diemer
I would refer you to the Infusion Nursing Standard of Practice #6 Competency and Competency Validation. No one here has said that a basic eduational course is all that is required. Far from it. But this course is the beginning, followed by supervised clinical experience. The information on competency from Joint Commission, and the education world does not establish the number of successful performances of any procedure that is required to be deemed competent. That decision is left to the individual facility. Then there must be a program of assessment for ongoing competency. This should be linked to clinical outcomes with the periodic assessment changing toward the goal of improving those outcomes. We should also adhere to the established language of Benner for levels of practice - novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
WOW very well said Jack! I agree with you 100%. I was trained by a master (also hard to find), and took the basic class. I see nurses with bad practices and skills train other nurses to have bad practice and skills. It becomes a viscous cycle. Now with over 10,000 PICCs behind me and as someone that attends conferences and reads the research yes I have earned that “black belt”. I meet nurses that don’t even quote the standards right or they believe what their sales reps tell them as golden, instead of investigating and finding the real truth for themselves.
We have people in the area that offer these basic classes, when their students finish they think they need to shadow me, do a few PICCs and can now market themselves as a PICC nurse. The term PICC nurse rubs me wrong, we are Vascular Access Nurses and we do need to raise the bar. Attending these classes are complements to our ongoing growth and knowledge. I would advise anyone to really look at the class you take, is the teacher a Master or “Black Belt”? Do they just say it and you believe it? Educators like Nancy are Masters, look at all she has published and her accomplishments. Work with and seek out Masters…. so that is what you become!
I also have a strong dislike for the phrase "PICC nurse". I think it is degrading to nurses. I am an infusion nurse specialist with PICC insertion and management expertise. But don't call me a PICC nurse! Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
126 Main Street, PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861