Daily PICC assessment

Specialties Infusion

Published

Hello, I am a NICU PICC nurse and we are currently reorganizing our team and the team duties. I am curious if other teams do a daily assessment of PICCs by the PICC team nurse. I have shared the INS and NANN guidelines stating daily assessment by a designated team member but am having some trouble proving the importance of this task. Is this a common practice by the PICC team or VAT? And I am referring to a documented assessment in the EMR. Thanks in Advance!!!

Asystole RN

2,352 Posts

Handwashing.

Is there anything more important and sacred to infection prevention than handwashing?

Well...the CDC thinks it is more important for your hospital have a dedicated insertion and maintenance team (which includes assessment) than have nurses wash their hands.

In the CDC BSI Prevention Guidelines a dedicated team is a class 1A recommendation while handwashing is a 1B recommendation. This might be the powerful tool you need.

missyjones1

13 Posts

Wow that's awesome. Thanks so much!

MunoRN, RN

8,058 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.
Handwashing.

Is there anything more important and sacred to infection prevention than handwashing?

Well...the CDC thinks it is more important for your hospital have a dedicated insertion and maintenance team (which includes assessment) than have nurses wash their hands.

In the CDC BSI Prevention Guidelines a dedicated team is a class 1A recommendation while handwashing is a 1B recommendation. This might be the powerful tool you need.

I'm not sure where you're getting that from, the CDC hicpac recommendations include a 1A recommendation that staff who insert and maintain IVs should demonstrate competence in IV therapy, but nowhere does it say assessments should only be done by dedicated IV therapy teams.

missyjones1

13 Posts

The new INS guidelines and the NANN guidelines

MunoRN, RN

8,058 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.
The new INS guidelines and the NANN guidelines

Where specifically in those recommendations are you seeing that?

Asystole RN

2,352 Posts

I'm not sure where you're getting that from, the CDC hicpac recommendations include a 1A recommendation that staff who insert and maintain IVs should demonstrate competence in IV therapy, but nowhere does it say assessments should only be done by dedicated IV therapy teams.

Who said assessments should only be conducted by dedicated teams? Maintenance includes assessment but is not exclusive of it. If there is a dedicated team is it unreasonable for them to be conducting daily assessments of the lines they care for? The floor nurse can assess the line as much as they feel prudent, which is reasonable.

If your patient has a speech therapist does that resolve you of responsibility of assessing for choking?

CDC BSI Prevention Guidlines, 2011

Education, Training and Staffing

p.25, Recommendation 3. " Designate only trained personnel who demonstrate competence for the insertion and maintenance of peripheral and central intravascular catheters. [14-28] Category 1A"

Asystole RN

2,352 Posts

Where specifically in those recommendations are you seeing that?

Considering you do not believe in the standards and guidelines published by professional organizations, what do you care? Trolling or what?

Standard 4, PC A-D

MunoRN, RN

8,058 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.
Who said assessments should only be conducted by dedicated teams? Maintenance includes assessment but is not exclusive of it. If there is a dedicated team is it unreasonable for them to be conducting daily assessments of the lines they care for? The floor nurse can assess the line as much as they feel prudent, which is reasonable.

If your patient has a speech therapist does that resolve you of responsibility of assessing for choking?

CDC BSI Prevention Guidlines, 2011

Education, Training and Staffing

p.25, Recommendation 3. " Designate only trained personnel who demonstrate competence for the insertion and maintenance of peripheral and central intravascular catheters. [14-28] Category 1A"

The OP's question was if there was is there some sort of supporting recommendations for daily assessments by a dedicated IV team member, you responded that this was a CDC recommendation, which doesn't appear to be the case. While I know of a study that shows better outcomes with insertion by a dedicated IV team, I can't find any CDC recommendation that assessments be done by a dedicated team.

+ Add a Comment