What 39 Clinical Leaders Taught Us: Reflections from Our 3 Questions With Series

When we launched our 3 Questions With series seven years ago, our goal was simple: create a space where clinicians could share their perspectives, experiences, and advice with the broader vascular access community.

Over the course of 39 interviews, we’ve had the privilege of speaking with clinicians, educators, researchers, infection preventionists, patients, and industry leaders. We asked each guest the same three questions:

• What inspires you most in your work?
• What clinical issue is currently underappreciated?
• What key recommendation do you have to improve patient outcomes?

Each conversation reflected a unique area of expertise and personal passion.

Yet as we looked back across seven years of interviews, something became remarkably clear: Different voices. Different experiences. Similar underlying principles.

Whether discussing education, infection prevention, vascular access device maintenance, patient advocacy, or evidence-based practice, our guests consistently returned to three ideas that define exceptional vascular access care.

Across nearly every interview, one message remained constant: patients are at the heart of everything we do.

Our guests spoke about reducing unnecessary needle sticks, preserving veins, preventing complications, and making an often-stressful healthcare experience just a little easier. They also recognized that delivering exceptional care requires a commitment to continuous learning, not only for themselves, but for the next generation of clinicians.

Dennis Woo beautifully captured that connection between education and patient care:

“I saw the difference between my blind sticking and the suffering that was causing my patients, and the ultrasound use and different techniques that I was using to prevent that suffering. That’s what really pushed me to share the information, but also gain the information myself.”

His words reflect a mindset we heard throughout the series. Education isn’t simply about developing technical skills; it’s about improving the patient experience.

Many interviewees described mentoring new clinicians as one of the most rewarding aspects of their careers, emphasizing the importance of translating research into practice and building confidence through education.

As Mindy Webb shared, she still remembers experiencing those “light bulb moments” while working at the bedside. Now, as an educator, she has the opportunity to help new nurses experience those same moments.

“…now I’ve given her the tools and I’ve taught her where she was going wrong and she can now go forward and use that. I think that’s the most inspiring thing is to just help somebody, whether it’s the patient or the staff, to do better next time.”

Education doesn’t stop with clinicians. Several interviewees also emphasized empowering patients with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves.

As Nancy Trick noted, many patients will become long-term users of vascular access devices. Helping them understand what to expect, what not to accept, and when to ask questions empowers patients to become active partners in keeping themselves safe.

Together, these conversations reminded us that the pursuit of knowledge is ultimately an investment in safer, more compassionate patient care.

If there was one clinical theme that echoed throughout the series, it was this: successful vascular access is about far more than insertion.

While proper placement is essential, our guests repeatedly emphasized that securement, maintenance, assessment, and preservation throughout therapy are what truly determine long-term success.

Mickey Hawes summarized this shift in perspective perfectly:

“We spend so much time getting the tip of the catheter to the right place… we spend so much money, so much education and training—and that is very, very important—but then how we keep it there is an afterthought.”

Although interviewees represented different specialties and organizations, we heard this message repeatedly: successful vascular access isn’t defined by insertion alone—it’s determined by everything that happens afterward.

Dr. Jack LeDonne offered a powerful statistic to illustrate why that mindset needs to change.

“The insertion phase is less than 1% of the life of the central venous catheter… Considering the overwhelming temporal dominance of care and maintenance, it is clear that a vital component of a proper insertion is to hand over the central venous catheter to the RN in a manner that allows for optimal care and maintenance.”

From the nursing perspective, Kayla Jordan identified the same opportunity.

“Oftentimes the focus is on getting the line in place and not necessarily empowering the nurse that is going to be taking care of the line… on how to secure it, maintain it, protect it, and use it successfully for the length of the patient’s therapy.”

Hearing physician and nursing perspectives align so naturally was one of the most compelling takeaways from the series. Together, they reinforce an important truth: vascular access is not a single procedure. It’s a continuum of care that requires thoughtful planning, effective maintenance, and collaboration throughout the patient’s treatment.

Communication surfaced in nearly every interview, but not always in the way we expected. Sometimes it meant stronger collaboration between bedside nurses, vascular access specialists, physicians, and infection prevention teams. Sometimes it meant helping executive leaders understand why practice changes matter. Just as often, it meant ensuring patients and families have a voice in their own care.

In our very first interview, Michelle DeVries emphasized the importance of supporting conversations with evidence.

“When our executive teams come to us and ask us what we’re doing about it or how we’re addressing it, we should be armed with data.”

This resonates in one of our most recent interviews with Melanie Kinder, who emphasized that collaboration is key to improving patient outcomes. In her experience, the different areas of care often “seem to silo—physicians, nurses, VAT specialists, wound care specialists…” Bridging those gaps and fostering communication from the executive team to the bedside helps ensure meaningful conversations are grounded in evidence.

Communication also means listening. Patient advocate Emily Levy reminded us that patients deserve a seat at the table, stating, “so many times we are an afterthought.” Luckily, there are clinicians like Moira McErlean, who share a similar perspective. In her experience in pediatric care, families should play a critical role in treatment decisions.

“It’s really great to be able to have the conversation in front of the parents so that they can help make the decision of what’s going to work for their child. They know them best.”

Although their experiences are different, each perspective reinforces the same principle: better care happens when everyone is aligned around the desired outcome.

Looking back across all 39 conversations, communication wasn’t simply about exchanging information. It was about building trust, sharing knowledge, and aligning everyone, from executives to clinicians to patients and families, around delivering the best possible patient outcomes.

For seven years, 3 Questions With has given us the opportunity to learn from some of the most respected voices in vascular access, infection prevention, and patient care.

We are incredibly grateful to every guest who shared their time, expertise, and passion with our readers. Their willingness to teach, challenge, and inspire has enriched not only this series, but the broader vascular access community.

As we look ahead, we’re excited to continue learning alongside the vascular access community. With more interviews already recorded and many more conversations to come, we’ll keep asking the questions that spark discussion, challenge our thinking, and help us all advance patient care—together. We hope you’ll continue the journey with us by subscribing to our blog and following the next chapter of the 3 Questions With series.