PICC Line Nurses/vascular access teams (VATs)

[lilnurse1126]

I am currently researching VATs and hoping to start up a team for our hospital. We currently have 2 PICC nurses FT and myself PRN but have services available M-F 8 hours a day at our children's hospital. Currently we are only placing lines and once a patient is stuck multiple times we are called for difficult IV placements...when pretty much everything is stuck and blown :/ We use U/S guidance so that makes it easier. Anyway, I was hoping to get some advice for a proposal. I am hoping to change the culture a little where policy for placing an IV is only two tries before calling the VAT, and adding responsibility to the PICC nurses...which would be called the vascular access team by Central line dressing changes, research, policies, assessing patients for the proper venous access and of course placing difficult PIVs and assessing, placing and maintaining care of PICC lines/policies and research. I would like to obviously expand the services to at least seven days a week and increase the team to at least have 4-6 nurses or 4 nurses and 2 techs with at least 1 ft and 1 pt child life specialist. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!