title: A collaborative approach: seeking excellence in vascular access.
abstract: Issues of patient and health professional safety are universal and it is well recognised that practice and product standardisation have a direct correlation with safety. In March 2014 the author's trust initiated a project to independently assess short-term peripheral cannulation against best practice guidelines as part of a whole system review into intravenous (IV) line complications. Catheter-related bloodstream infections had cost the trust hundreds of thousands of pounds each year. This review was identified as a means of maximising safety for both patients and health professionals and improving practice standards, without the need to increase expenditure. The objectives of this review were to investigate, recommend and implement changes necessary to improve IV practice and thereby improve patient outcomes. The independent, third-party nature of this review helped the vascular access lead to rapidly engage with the senior nursing team and ensure that an agreed action plan was developed and immediately implemented. The resulting action plan is well under way and the impact of the changes will be reviewed again in the spring of 2015.
authors.affiliation: Vascular Access Lead, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol.
authors.forename: Jodie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coram
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D006113:United Kingdom; D062666:Vascular Access Devices / Q000592:standards*
keywords: Asepsis; Catheter-related infections; Clinical governance; Service review; Vascular access devices