PICC/IV RN

Hi fellow nurses

I'm originally an RN from Australia, moved to USA to undertake specialty training in PICC line placement and PIV insertions on a Vascular Access Team of a major children's hospital. I was hoping to move back to Australia and bring this experience and qualifications back with me but I'm coming to realise that Australia has not advanced, yet, in such area. Does anyone know of hospitals where nurses are placing PICC lines/ PIVs?

Thank you!

Congrats on your specialty training.

I doubt if that practice is widespread in Australia. If it is, I would imagine a theatre ICU, or interventional radiology setting.

You can probably put a case forward to your future Australian employer for nurse-led CVC placements but that will involve a lot of research, time, and energy on your part. It sounds like a lot of work but hey, every nurse will know your name by the time that practice become common place in Oz.

I believe at some hospitals there are clinical nurse specialists who can insert PICC lines but it is more on a hospital by hospital basis. Also it is unlikely they would recognise international qualification in this area, you would need to go through the hospitals own training and accreditation system

There is nearly endless research and published evidence that nurse led vascular access services have best patient outcomes and are cost effective. Check out google scholar and run a few searches to see what you can find. You can also look at the Association for Vascular Access and Infusion Nurses Society. A few vendors have published their own information, such as Teleflex and maybe Bard. Just do some internet searches and you'll find a lot of information.

I'm coming to realise that Australia has not advanced, yet, in such area

I had to do some digging around, lots of web searches, and asking my vascular access contacts. PICC nurses don't appear to be that uncommon. That statement really sparked my curiosity as I even know a PICC nurse that moved here from Australia many years ago. Good luck to you.