I recently taught the lab staff how to use ultrasound for lab draws.   They were so excited to learn this skill.  It didn’t take long for them to put this skill to work!  We had a “difficult stick” on

The Synergy PICC,  manufactured by Health Line International Corporation,  comes in a complete kit.  PICC kits are essential in today’s health care settings.   PICC kits come with all the supplies that you need to place the line.  The NPSG (National

We appreciate articles like this one from Lisa Bonsall:“We know the importance of preventing healthcare-associated infections to improve patient outcomes; this has been one of the National Patient Safety Goals of the Joint Commission for years. As I put together the resources

Announcing A New Webinar Event Needleless Connectors: Understanding Design and Function to Reduce Infection Risk Webinar Description: Needleless connectors are widely used as an accessory to intravascular administration sets because they reduce the risk of injury from needlesticks. However, needleless

PICC (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters) lines are a good choice for the patient needing IV therapy.  We know that the line is indicated for many uses.  The decision to place a PICC line is assessed on an individual basis.  

Educating staff on care and maintenance of all VAD’s (Vascular Access Devices) is key to prevention of CRBSI’s (Catheter Related Blood Stream Infections).  Educating staff on hire, annually and when ever your products change is the standard in health care.

Nurses who care for CVC’s (Central Venous Catheters) are always asking “how do I identify the connector?”  This is a challenge for all of us.  If you take care of the patient with the line placed in your facility, then

The centers for Medicare/Medicaid launched a National program on April 12th, 2011 to reduce hospital readmissions by 20% and reduce hospital-acquired harm by 40%.  CMS will fund up to $1 billion dollars for the program.  What does this mean for

I know I posted a comment earlier on Midline Catheters, but I think this line deserves another discussion.  This line is underused in our patients with diagnosis of dehydration, COPD, CHF and of course the “difficult” stick.  This line is

Having a skilled team of nurses placing an monitoring Vascular Access Devices is so important to patient satisfaction.  When patients know that they have a team of skilled experts checking in on them gives them a sense of security.  Patients