PICC bu$ine$$ info dump

okay, for a couple of months now i have heard of various success rates with picc-certified nurses who have broken off with their hospital and independently formed a group that goes to hospitals in their area to insert PICCs.

1. how many of you are doing this and what is the success rate like? one picc a day demand? more than one a day?

2. what is the demand with the hospitals? i know that our hospital trains the supervisors to insert piccs so they "save" on FTE.

3. what is the pay rate like? i heard that its something like 300$ per insertion here in los angeles.

i hope to go into this because it seems like a huge revenue stream that not many are going into (partly because its expensive to train--500$ theory package for MST/US plus additional clinical/actual insertion training--and that not many want to train others).

there is another way that i heard to do this--and that is to partner with an MD who almost always needs a picc for his patients (oncology/chemotherapy, neurosurgeon/neurointerventionalist, intensivist/ICU) and then insert piccs for his demand. the pay i hear is lower--200$ per insertion but then you get the advantage of referral and guaranteed business by way of the MD (of course the MD gets a cut).

4. how many of you are doing this route?

5. what is the success rate like? how is the experience and can you partner with multiple MDs (for more business)?

i also know that medicare reimburses 600$ for picc placement and an additional 80$ if it is with ultrasound--so this is a good business to go into.

i am really studying how to get into this business as i feel i am more a "technical"/"skill"-nurse than a bedside nurse. i have 6 months experience in the SICU fresh from school and i could say i am pretty competent compared to others.

lastly,

6. where do you get the picc materials (actual picc) to train with? i can buy the dvd and books online, but none offer the actual insertion kit.

7. who certifies us as a picc-certified nurse? various companies online are offering classes, but is there an actual, formal, CERTIFICATION given by a goverened body like BRN? companies often just quote position papers by INS/AVA. is this legal?

8. what is the longest time it would take for a picc insertion? i have watched a few and they always never go beyond an hour. 300$ for one hour's work looks sweet, imagine five of them in a day--that's my two weeks' pay!

let me know your thoughts and thanks to those who take the time to read and answer, your help is immensely appreciated and valued.



p.s.--yes, i know there are a bunch of RNs out there who will hurl the traditional "you need years of experience first!", "you're fresh out of school and youre doing this already, take one step at a time", "you should never have gone into nursing if $$$ is all you think of", "stop having delusions of grandeur and earn your time the way we did".

please. do us all a favor and just answer the questions and help out. i highly respect those that paid their dues and got to where they are through difficult means. please find merit in just answering factually the questions aired.