Hi all, this is an important bill that all of that vascular access nursing community needs to address. I have attached it for all to read, it is on the AVA website. Basically, what it is saying is that anyone using ultrasound must have 18 months of education and training as a sonographer, the exception is MD, PA, and NP's. There for ONLY NURSES are affected. I find this very interesting given that the vascular nursing community seems to be the ONLY group that not only goes through formal education, but is required by JCAHO to be competencied. Please read the article and contact all on the list and let them know that for the use of ultrasound for PICC placement is a safe and effective means of delivery with both education and clinical competency, that our standard of care is the highest among the medical community for the specialty that we perform.
Thank you.
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems
Many senators and house representatives have been contacted. I would like to thank everyone for their help. Especially thank Nancy Moureau, Paul Blackburn, Irene Plenefisch (Sonosite), and AVA. I have spent numerous hours with Paul blackburn pulling references for RN's to use ultrasound to place PICC lines.
Let's keep up the fight by going to AVA's website to contact your local representatives. We will not lose this right if we fight as RN's have licensure and pass state boards and technicians do not have licensure amd pass state boards they get certification only thru the AART and only have licenses required in 38 states on radiological health. There is no state board for radiology technicians. For that matter AART their accredidation group does not even list PICC line insertion as something that they are qualified to do. I just gave a talk on technicians placing PICC lines in Seattle last week. It was an eye opener.
Kathy
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems
The ASRT guidelines do state that placing PICC lines, accessing and removing PICC lines are all within a Radiology Technologist's scope of practice. You can find this on page 13 of their position statements, see attached.
Chris Cavanaugh, RN, BSN, CRNI, VA-BC