I was recently approached to proctor a nurse on inserting PICCs. She attended a course that only taught the palpation technique. I thought that went out in the 90's. Has anyone else heard of companies offering PICC insertion courses without including ultrasound guidance? I have an email out to the comapny inquiring how they justify this practice.
The statement from Infusion Nursing Standards of Practice is that US should be used for inserting PICCs to increase success rates and decrease insertion-related complications. I would expect all reputable courses to teach US techniques, but I am certain that there are educational companies still teaching the old techniques of using only palpable veins. I would guess these companies are motivated by profit rather than teaching the current standards of practice. I would add that having the US machine to teach is an expensive investment for a small educational company so that could be their reason. If they taught the course and included a discussion of US and MST that would be a little better than teaching that palpation and old through the introducer methods were the way to insert. A simple discussion about US and MST would introduce these concepts but leave the learner to learn these advanced techniques on their own. The only "regulation" for what is taught and how is the integrity of the education company and educators, leaving the novice without the complete exposure to best practice. The novice with PICC insertion would not have the knowledge to question why the company did not include the preferred advanced techniques. 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