What is your policy for competency verification for PICC insertion by RNs? Do you have a minimum number or are RN monitored yearly? I need to make some stipulation in our hospital policy.
Thanks for your time.
Kathy Brown RN,BSN,CRNI
[email protected]
Forum topic
Mon, 11/02/2015 - 19:13
#1
PICC credentialing yearly?
The policy I wrote called for annual checkoff with infection control. Even the best of us can get sloppy, new items (such as a change in furniture) show up in patient rooms, new products come along. It doesn't hurt to have another set of eyes make certain we are still doing the very best for our patients. As far as competency, we require 2 piccs per month, 24 annually.
thanks so much for your input. We are really small and 24 annually will be difficult, but I really like that you do both. One member of our team has not put in a PICC for 10 months (was on leave), and does not feel that any monitoring is needed.
Kathy Brown RN, BSN,CRNI
The emphasis for initial competency assessment should be on a designated number of completely successful insertions. The entire procedure is accomplished including patient assessment for the right VAD, insertion and confimration of the right tip location, and all documentation. The number is set by each facility and is often 3 to 5. Some may accomplish this is 5 to 7 attempts while oher may take dozens of attempts to accomplish the designated number of successful insertions.
Ongoing competeny is totally different. It should not be repeating the procedure in its entirely for observation by a preceptor. Ongoing competency should be linked to your clinical outcomes. Then you alter the periodic competency toward improving those outcomes. If you have a problem with vein thrombosis your focus may be on appropriate selection of the size of the VAD and appropriate tip location. The 2016 Infusion Therapy Standards of Practice will include a significant reducation to the standard on competency assessment and validation. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, NPD-BC, CRNI
Lynn Hadaway Associates, Inc.
PO Box 10
Milner, GA 30257
Website http://www.hadawayassociates.com
Office Phone 770-358-7861
thanks so much for your input.
Kathy Brown RN, BSN,CRNI