Educational Webinars & Videos

The Vascular Access Specialty Team (VAST) at Hartford Hospital has and continues to expand its services resulting in less waste, variability and better patient outcomes. They have accomplished this using data that is continually captured and presented to the hospitals administrators. Being a Lean hospital, the VAST is using these principles when initiating interventions that have resulted in: cost savings; increase in patient satisfaction; increase in bedside RN satisfaction; increase in billable services; reduction in PIVC complications. In 2019, Lee and his team completed a study that integrated best in class medical devices with evidenced-based practice with each PIVC insertion. This bundle is trademarked as the PIV5Rights. The success of this study was the beginning of their growth as it demonstrated that a skilled clinician placing PIVCs achieves better outcomes than the generalist model. Results of this study will be discussed along with other initiatives this VAST is doing to assure they produce value that is palpable to the hospital and their patients.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey.

Catheter Related Bloodstream Infections (CRBSI) are a significant cause of hospital morbidity and mortality. A review of literature and Infusion Therapy Standards indicate that dressing changes due to disruption are associated with a significant risk of bloodstream infection. A quality improvement project to decrease the number of premature dressing changes due to disruption was initiated and its results, including 18-months of audit data, will be discussed.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey.

The prevention of vascular access device and infusion complications is enhanced through better securement and stabilization of the catheter. This presentation will identify 21 securement and dressing scenarios with measured pull forces to help clinicians understand different securement modalities. Find out how dressings make a difference. The standard of seven-day dressing changes can lead the clinician to believe that the dressing actually stays on seven days; however, dressing disruptions occur between 40-68 hours and unscheduled dressing changes contribute to increased infections, dislodgement, phlebitis, infiltration and adds extra supplies and nursing time to an already stressed environment. Keeping the dressing on is of the utmost importance. We will review the newly released standards of practices on securement with an in-depth review of a dressing enhancement to support dressing adherence.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey.

​​​​The goal of this program is to describe the forces within the current healthcare environment that are targeting zero for device-related infections, identify and detail the evidence-based practices that go beyond the guidelines in preventing CAUTIs, and discuss possible barriers to practice changes and realistic solutions to assist the team in the implementation process.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey.

The goal of this program is to educate a broader audience on advanced strategies to decrease the incidence of SSI to reduce cost of care and improve patient outcomes.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey.

This presentation covers the use of a gum mastic product in vascular access site care combined with rounding and site care delivered by a dedicated team of vascular access specialists. It describes an experience spanning rationale, product trial, initial data review, and implementation across three facilities. It culminates with objective and observational data from over one year later.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits are available. This course offers 1.0 content hour which will be awarded after completion of post course assessment and/or survey. The content is available on the AVA Academy website and is accessible FREE of charge to AVA members and non-members.

The surgical site infection (SSI) prevention bundle is more complex and more rapidly evolving when compared to other healthcare-associated prevention bundles and keeping apprised of the latest innovations is often challenging for infection preventionists and perioperative teams. This presentation will highlight some of the more recent innovative practices and technologies, that when used as adjuncts to current surgical care practices, can reduce SSI risk among certain surgical patient populations.