Change Concept 10
Education for caregivers and patients
- Routine facility staff in-servicing and education program in vascular access.
- Continuing education for all caregivers to include periodic in-services by nephrologists, surgeons, and interventionalists.
- Facilities educate patients to improve quality of care and outcomes (e.g., prepping puncture sites, applying pressure at needle sites, etc.).
To make good decisions about their care, dialysis patients and their caregivers need support and resources, including information about the value of fistulae over other access types, protecting their veins, and advocating for themselves with their health care team.
Changes for Improvement:
Develop Routine In-Servicing and Education Programs in Vascular Access for Facility Staff
Facilities should provide routine in-servicing and education programs for all staff to communicate the value of fistulae over other access types and best treatment practices for patients with fistulae.
Provide Continuing Education for all Care Givers
Provide continuing education for all caregivers to include periodic in-services by nephrologists, surgeons, and interventionalists.
Educate Patients to Improve Quality of Care and Outcomes
Facilities should educate patients on practices that can improve the quality of their care and their outcomes (e.g., prepping puncture sites, applying proper pressure at needle sites without clamps).
Patients should be taught, where feasible, to manage their puncture sites without the use of clamps. This is especially important for self-care and home dialysis. Emphasizing patient education and self-care (e.g., prepping cannulation sites, patient or family member holding pressure, etc.) is beneficial for patients and can actually reduce the workload for the staff (reducing dependence on routine use of clamps).
Related Tools
An interactive module designed for training both patients and staff regarding the benefits and care of AV fistulae, how to encourage AV fistulae as a primary access, and how to conduct cannulation training.
This slide presentation outlines the benefits of AV fistula and the critical steps necessary to insure successful placement, maturation, and use.
A healthcare team working in collaboration and following Recommended practice guidelines can make a difference in maximizing the use of native AV fistula.
A tool for determining and developing the cannulation competency of dialysis staff, also see Change Concept #8
Revised 09/09
A checklist for patients who will be self-cannulating, also see Change Concept #8
Revised 09/09
Vein Preservation Tools