I work in ltc and...

Specialties Infusion

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We are going to start accepting pts on tpn.... I have been an RN for 2yrs, nervous about it. Word is we can get picc line certfied on-line. Question is, has anyone done it this way before? Or would you?

Thank you for your response!

Yes, I think sterile dressing changes should be return demo/skill checkoffs. Seen too many incidents of bad technique and the risk of infection is too high.

Specializes in Vascular Access.

You may be able to take a course on line that will review care and maintenace of all central catheters including PICC's... However, you will not be able to take a course online and then be deemed, "PICC certified". Although PICC certified is an ambiguois term since true "certification" comes from agents such as ANA, INS, ONS etc.. One becomes PICC certified by receiving the didactic portion and then performing hands on. A nurse who completes the lecture portion, and then completes say 5 successful insertions of a PICC catheters may then be deemed "PICC certified" but doing an online course WILL NOT get you there.

INS (Infusion Nurses Society) recommends that one who wants to become PICC certified then he or she should have completed 1600 hours of IV therapy experience in the previous 48 months along with being able to be proficent in CVC management and care. PICC certification involves alot more than an online course.

Thank you IVRUS....i knew there had to be more to it than what we are being told. Our "marketing nurse" is so desperate to recruite pts that she is not being very thorough in her research. For example, our floor recently became a "cardiac unit" well they paid for us to become acls certified, we were suppose to get monitors and have an off site telemtry, defibs, never got them, well when we received our first pt, she was out of icu one day and sent her to us, (alot of heart problems) well family was told we had theses things and asked us abt them, I told them that we didnt have them but we were keeping a very close eye on here, monitoring her vitals, and resident was alert so she could tell us how she was feeling trying to reassure them that if anything goes wrong we will send her out immediately. The family thanked us. pts vitals were stable and she was anxious, long story short, next day her nurse and I were assessing her, vitals were stable o2 @ 95% with oxygen on, she stated "i dont feel right" couldnt say the first syllable in her name with sob,so made the decision to send her out, her family member called and told us that she made the decision to be put on hospice that day... My point is I dont like being told one thing and something else is being done. I just want to make sure im doing everything I can to not put myself or pts at risk and get the proper supplies and techniques we need that theses pts will need... Thanks for listening... :)

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