I am looking for wriiten documentation for maintaining PICC line "certification". I have heard that to remain competent, a PICC nurse needs to place ~50 PICCs per year, but I can't find it to print it out. My facility is planning on having Nurse Practitioners place PICCs while the PICC Team is off duty. Our concerns are that they may not use appropriate assessment skills to determine IF the pt is a PICC candidate before placing them - they will probably just put it in because they can. Our other concern is that there will 2 people who need to be trained, so will they be able to remain competent if they cannot meet minimum requirements to maintain competency? Again, I need written documentation to present to my department director.
I don't think you will find such a number recommended by a professional organization much less supported by research. There is no PICC insertion "certification". You must follow the recommendations from Joint Commission on competency, but there are no magic number of insertions to obtain competency nor to maintain competency. Your clinical outcomes should guide the periodic changes in your competency assessment program. Lynn
Lynn Hadaway, M.Ed., RN, BC, CRNI
www.hadawayassociates.com
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
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems
Hornsby published in JIN 2005 stated 50 PICC lines is the learning curve
That is all I can offer
kathy
Kathy Kokotis
Bard Access Systems
I have been doing picc exchanges for 2 years. They are far & few between. After updating our P & P on picc exchanges, my competency is being questioned. Meaning who said I was competent? I'm the only nurse currently doing exchanges outside Angio dept. I did an exchange with Angio dept observing hoping this would be enough. We are having a meeting next week to discuss this. For picc placement, we need 3 successful per year. Do any of you have any requirements for exchanges? How do you maintain or obtain you competency?
Thanks,
Dawn
do you work in a hospital with hospitalists. They may be able to check you off on exchanges
If not is there a NP in the ICU that places acute care CVC's that is employed by the hospital as they may be able to check you off for exchange each year
Check for employed MD's and employed NP's or PA's
Kathy
There is no such thing as having a "certification" as a PICC nurse. You can of course obtain a certificate as the result of attending a class on PICC line insertions but that is far different than a certification. Each institution or company has to establish their own policies and procedures for nurses to perform various duties, among them inserting PICC lines or peripheral lines. They should be in accordance to community standards and follow INS standards of course. The only nationally accepted standards on infusion therapy are those put out by the INS but they will not cover what you seek. What you need to do is work with your facilyt to develop your own P&P's and determine how you assess competency and what educational components a nurse needs to meet as part of that.
Marvin Siegel RN CRNI
Director of Clinical Services
Town Total Health
NY, NY
Marvin is totally correct on this issue of "certification" (mastering a complete body of knowledge within a given specialty) from a "certificate of completion or attendance" or any program that provides a certificate of any kind. There is no certification on PICC insertion. Each organization must document the competency of all staff including those that insert PICCs. There is no evidence to support a national standard on a specific number of any given procedure that is required to attain or maintain competency. 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 for the voice of support Lynn.
Marvin Siegel RN CRNI
Director of Clinical Services
Town Total Health
NY, NY
You also should check with your State Board of Nursing. The State of Wyoming mandated how many PICCs you need to do a year to maintain "competancy". See if there is something in your states nursing practice.
IS Nancy Moreau's CPUI not a certification?
It is not a certification. It is a certificate program. 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 Lynn for the clarification.
Hi Nanache,
I know this is a really old post but wondering how it worked out for your hospital having the NPs inserting PICCs while off duty.
I'm running into the same scenario at my hospital. The NPs for the intensivist group (contracted-outside company) agreed to place PICCs/Midlines when I'm not available which is routinely, 3 days a week. (Had a partner that quit recently and my hospital doesn't want to hire another PICC RN.) So I'm being asked to train at least 2 NPs for now to kick this off. It concerns me that the ICU NP that will be covering me, will also have to respond to codes, see consults, and do PICCs/Midlines. I feel vascular access is an area of specialty that is being underestimated and would be better off as a dedicated team.
I've been a long time reader of this forum and first time posting.
Lynn, I appreciate everything you do for this vascular access community. I've learned so much from you.