Colleagues, I need your help!! The data's been presented, the response is very, very favorable and my institution is ready to seriously inplement the vascular access nurse(s) position(s) for FY'15. I'm asking you to send me your job descriptions to help build a program supported by excellent quality patient outcomes. Also include your "wish list" ... answer the following question. If I had to do it over again I would change/add _____ to the services and job descriptions. We will have a medical advisor, be actively involved in the organization's infrastructure, and eventually insert PICC's etc at the bedside. I'm sooooo excited! What a Christmas present from our organization to our patients. You can post your response online or email it to me personally at [email protected] Thank You. Turena
Congratulations Turena! My strong suggestion would be to not limit your focus to only PICC insertion. Your team should be responsible for the entire delivery of the insertion and infusion through all types of VADs. That does not mean that your team would be actually administering each dose of fluid or med, but it does mean that your team is the group who changes all CVAD dressings, regardless of who inserted it, monitoring outcomes, managing complications, and the resource for all issues involving safe delivery of all infusion therapy. Insertion knowledge and skill is very important but it only addresses the first 30-60 minutes of the catheter's life. Think about all the other things being done to that catheter. Someone has to take the lead as the experts and a full service infusion team is the best approach in my opinion. 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 Turena,
This is the first step of a big journey and your great asking the questions as to what we would change or improve upon. I have a couple motos first "No Blind Sticks" all patients deserve assessment and insertion prior to being tortured by peripheral devices if truly based off assessment they needed a longer term device. My other moto is "difficult patients don't stop coming to the hospital after 5pm" this makes it very relevant to make sure that your service rationalizes the after hour service. Lastly when building your team find passionate clinicians that want further advancement as vascular access teams will continue to advance practice and need the continuous passion and compassion to grow such practices. Please look at the CVC insertion tool kit at www.vascularacademy.com here you will find all policies, procedures, economic information plus a lot of other great info. I am always here to assist for further info.
[email protected]
Amy
Amy Bardin
RRT, MS, VA-BC