Vascular Access Devices: External Central Vascular Access Devices

Video Runtime: 53 Minutes; Learning Assessment Time: 38 Minutes

This course is the third in a series of six courses aimed at providing the home care nurse with the essential knowledge to safely care for patients who require a variety of home infusion therapies. Home care nurses must possess a high level of knowledge and skills to safely insert and manage vascular access devices, provide infusions via an array of infusion methods, recognize and respond to complications, and provide patient and caregiver education. This course focuses on understanding three categories of external central vascular access devices (CVADs). Important to safe practice are ongoing assessment, post-insertion catheter care and management, safe CVAD removal, and ongoing patient education.

Learning Objectives

• Examine three categories of central vascular access devices (CVADs) used for home infusion therapy
• Analyze a CVAD, addressing key areas for ongoing assessment
• Deduce key aspects of post-insertion catheter care and management
• Implement safe practices during CVAD removal