Vascular access device (VAD) selection is a complex and evolving part of infusion therapy practice. The key foundational concept to VAD selection is vessel health and preservation, selecting the optimal VAD that will support administration of required infusion therapy while maintaining patient safety. It includes 4 basic segments: patient specific assessment and appropriate VAD selection, skilled clinician VAD insertion, VAD management to promote positive outcomes, and analyzing organizational data to identify areas for improvement. The choice of the correct VAD for placement is reliant on thorough understanding of VAD and infusate characteristics within the context of the individual patient’s condition and infusion therapy requirements. This session will review the risks and benefits of VAD options, the infusate components that increase injury risk, then apply those criteria to promote patient safety through to a case-based discussion from various clinical settings.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:

•    Describe characteristics of peripheral and central vascular access devices through risk/analysis perspective

•    Identify infusate components that increase the risk of patient injury

•    Apply VAD and infusate characteristics in a case scenario format to optimize patient safety

Contact Hours: 1

CRNI^® RUs: 2

Intravascular catheters are used in nearly all healthcare settings and require frequent insertion, access, and maintenance. Each of these steps carries inherent infection risk. Recent regulatory changes and emerging infection prevention (IP) research have expanded surveillance and prevention efforts beyond central lines to include all vascular access devices (VADs), placing new expectations on vascular access teams (VATs).

This session reviews evolving IP issues influencing VAD practice, including hospital-onset bacteremia and fungemia (HOB), leadership engagement, multidisciplinary team structures, and core prevention components across the device lifecycle. Updated research findings and expert guideline recommendations will be examined, with emphasis on post-insertion care, peripheral intravenous catheter risk, environmental contamination, and blood culture stewardship. Practical considerations for implementing sustainable prevention strategies and monitoring compliance will be discussed to support improved patient safety outcomes.

Learning Objectives: By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• Describe the emerging infection prevention (IP) issues that will influence vascular access device (VAD) practice
• Summarize new peer-reviewed studies and expert guideline recommendations that impact VAD practice
• Review core components necessary in addressing the expansion in VAD surveillance and prevention activities

Contact Hours: 1
CRNI^® RUs: 2

Patients with hypercoagulable conditions present unique challenges for vascular access clinicians. Choosing the most appropriate vascular access device (VAD) requires balancing infusion therapy needs, vessel health preservation, and minimizing thrombosis risk. This session will explore hypercoagulable disease states, such as cancer-associated thrombosis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, and inherited thrombophilias, and discuss how each impacts device selection, dwell time, and maintenance practices. Attendees will review current evidence, clinical guidelines, and case scenarios that highlight the intersection of pathophysiology, device choice, and patient outcomes.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:  

• Identify common hypercoagulable disease states encountered in infusion and vascular access practice 

• Analyze how hypercoagulability influences the risk profile for peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs), midline catheters, ports, and tunneled catheters 

• Apply evidence-based strategies to guide VAD selection and management for patients with elevated thrombotic risk 

• Integrate risk-mitigation approaches into patient education, insertion practices, and ongoing device maintenance 

Contact Hours: 1
CRNI® RUs: 2

Peripheral intravenous infiltrations and extravasations (PIVIEs) remain a significant source of preventable harm, patient distress, and healthcare cost, especially in pediatric settings, where families often cite intravenous (IV) starts and failures as the most stressful part of a hospitalization. With over 80% of hospitalized patients requiring a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC), proactive prevention strategies are essential. This session introduces and discusses the P.O.K.E. initiative (Previous PIVIE, Oral transition, Keep it, Educate PIV plan to family and team), a structured communication tool designed to reduce PIVIE rates through interdisciplinary collaboration and family engagement.  

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:  

• Understand the complications associated with PIVIE and their impact on the child, the family, and the health care system 
• Identify evidence-based tools for the prevention of PIVIE 
• Evaluate current PIVIE prevention strategies implemented to determine alignment with evidence-based best practices and identify opportunities for improvement 
• Recognize key risk factors that contribute to its occurrence in pediatric patients 

Contact Hours: 1
CRNI^® RUs: 2

Luer lock connections are essential for managing vascular access devices and equipment used in infusion therapies across inpatient, outpatient, and home care settings.  However, due to the difficulty of disconnecting some of these devices, many workarounds have been implemented, leading to possible complications such as medication errors and risk of infection. By learning proper connection and disconnection procedures, these complications, including central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI), can be reduced and even prevented. This session will discuss the application of systems-based thinking to identify and address disconnection challenges, tool improvisation, and training gaps, resulting in a nurse-centered prototype designed to reduce catheter-related complications, improve patient safety and satisfaction, and decrease health care costs. 

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to:  

• Explain how tool availability and training may influence nurses’ use of workarounds with catheter luer disconnections 
• Describe the impact of workarounds on patient safety, catheter management, and nursing workflow efficiency 
• Evaluate the benefits of a nurse-centered disconnection device in reducing health care costs and improving patient safety and patient satisfaction outcomes 
• Apply evidence-based and systems-based strategies to enhance catheter disconnection practices, including training opportunities across various health care settings 

Contact Hours: 1
CRNI^® RUs: 2