Vascular Access Team plays important role in controlling infections
Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Vascular Access Team is a team of registered nurses who use their experience and technology to allow bedside healthcare teams to deliver lifesaving medications to patients while reducing discomfort, vessel preservation, and preventing infections.
These specially trained nurses use ultrasound technology to locate veins in a patient that are otherwise inaccessible. Their goal is always to start IVs with minimal vessel damage, an important factor is also vessel preservation.
The Vascular Access Team’s 23 members are based in the Hinshaw Towers but are ready to help patients at Children’s Hospital, East Campus, Surgical Hospital, Hinshaw Towers, the Cancer Center, Pediatric Oncology, and Maternal Fetal Medicine. Each team member is passionate about making a difference in patients’ lives as they fill a pivotal role in preserving vessels and decreasing the rate of infection. Vascular Access Team services can be requested 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
“People on this team combine a special skill set with a strong dedication to patient service,” said Ebony Hillary, VAT manager. “We can teach the necessary skills, but we look for people who are joyous around our patients and their families.”
VAT procedures can range from a 5- to 10-minute IV insertion to spending 45 minutes or more on placing a 40 cm peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) line. The more complicated invasive procedures require careful sterilization setup and educating the patient and family on the need for the line and its benefits.
The introduction of ultrasound technology brought significant advances to VAT procedures. In past years, vascular access workers used X-rays and tape measures to estimate where desired veins were located. Along with the instant feedback ultrasound now provides, VAT members can use Doppler sound waves to determine which direction blood flows in a vein, allowing them to ensure lines are placed in the proper orientation.
“You train your brain to watch for different cues on the monitor to make sure you’re in the right vessel,” said Michael Nix, RN, a member of VAT. “We never want to leave a PICC line in the wrong place.”
Another contribution to preventing infections has been the introduction of PICC lines coated with antimicrobial substances that can destroy bacteria in the insertion area and the introduction of CHG dressing which are dressings that are impregnated with chlorohexidine. These two products have helped us in decreasing the amount of CLABSI’s in the hospital setting said Cynthia Hargrove.
“I love what I do,” said Nix. “I’ve always been passionate about making a difference in people’s lives.”
