PICC Teams/Vascular Access Teams

[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. We also have a sedation team utilized for our patient populations toddlers, pre-school aged and school age with delays or extreme anxiety that is currently M-F. Hoping to get this expanded to 7 days as well. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Asystole RN]

The major problem with Vascular Access Teams is that they are expensive. They do not generate direct income for the hospital and are often seen as "accessory" departments.

The key to promoting VATs is to show how they have a significant secondary cost savings. Many studies show that each PIV attempt costs about $20-$45 each. This is something you can find out by determining the supply and labor cost. Show how one stick by a VAT can reduce overall floor cost by reducing redundant stick costs. Also, a VAT can perform preemptive vascular access assessments to maybe get advanced lines in earlier, saving the cost of PIVs again.

Don't forget to mention the standards of practice and the recommendations by the CDC...

[zahryia, LPN]

Also, mentioning HCAPHS wont hurt, know a lot of people complain about that.

[12jeannemb]

Please let me know what you find out. I am at a 200 bed acute care hospital and we have 8 rn's that place pICCs but we all have full time other roles. Trying to get info on teams and how they are run at other facilities.

Thanks for your help