Improving IV placement for patients

Researching new technologies

Setting up IVs for patients is a standard practice for many nurses. From fluid drips to blood draws, there are countless reasons a patient might need an IV. The insertion process can be tricky at times, though, and any missteps could create discomfort for patients. Penni and Ludy began tracking all attempts and failures for IV placements for patients requiring a chest CT scan with contrast. 

With a culture of support behind them, Penni and Ludy were able to tap into the Duke Health resources needed to bring a vision of innovative IV placement to life.

The first step in introducing and testing new IVs was examining all of the latest technology available on the market. After looking closely at the options and research available, they narrowed it down to one replacement – AccuCath.

There are a few notable differences between the standard catheter and the new AccuCath catheter. It is both longer and sturdier than the previous version, plus it comes with a guide wire. These factors make insertion easier for even the most challenging IV placements.

Once they discovered the AccuCath, Penni and Ludy needed to prove it was the best solution. To do this, they went through a two-year research and experimentation phase.

Implementing the best solution

After taking the time to ensure that the AccuCath would work for Duke Health patients, it was time to launch a pilot at Duke Regional Hospital. This location is home to the Bariatrics unit, which helps many patients who have difficult IV access.

For the initial rollout of AccuCath, Penni and Ludy organized the training for their fellow team members in collaboration with clinical educators so that everyone would feel confident using the new technology.

Those who attended the trainings were immediately excited to adopt the new catheter. The nurses trialed the AccuCath device at Duke Regional Hospital and found a higher insertion rate with this new device. Their trial data was presented to the Products and Equipment Resource Team and eventually approved for health system-wide adoption.

Trinidad Abe, a certified vascular access nurse, was especially impressed by the change after she noticed that the AccuCath catheters were sustaining much longer – even on patients who struggle with IVs.

This is just one example of how Duke Health teammates are improving care by advocating on behalf of patients. Having the ability to personally contribute to excellence in health care is something that embodies the type of rewarding career that can be built here.