The Vascular Access Service at Boston Children’s Hospital provides vascular access care to patients and families across the lifespan. This program places 14,000 PIVCs and 800 PICCs annually throughout the enterprise, including critical care, emergency department, inpatient units, procedural areas, and ambulatory care settings. Phase 1 of orientation includes 12 weeks of training on PIVC Insertion, phlebotomy, dressing changes, and management of vascular access device complications. PICC training is encompassed in phase two, which begins after at least one year of experience; this entails a minimum of 12-16 weeks of simulation and hands-on experience.

This Staff Nurse Will Be Responsible For

• Insertion of vascular access devices, including PIVCs and PICCs, using transillumination devices, ultrasound guidance, and ECG technology.
• Performing other vascular access procedures, including phlebotomy on DIVA patients, routine infant PICC dressing changes and complex dressings with skin complications, clearance of occluded central catheters, management of malpositioned PICCs, and other device-related complications.
• Demonstrating critical thinking skills to incorporate empirical knowledge of vascular access with an understanding of various clinical diagnoses and scenarios to make appropriate decisions.
• Working in a fast-paced, physically rigorous environment for the duration of a shift.
• Triaging a high-volume vascular access consults.
• Collaborating with the interdisciplinary team, including nursing, APRNs, house staff/attendings, child life specialists, respiratory therapists, pharmacy, etc., to coordinate care across multiple services.
• Facilitating learning and development of the healthcare team through 1:1 preceptorship, unit-based education, and informal knowledge sharing.
• Patient and family education.
• Active partnership with peers and leadership in policy development, quality improvement projects, and continuing education.
• Exhibiting flexibility and consistency in an expeditious, dynamic environment.
• Maintaining composure in high-pressure situations.
• Employing strong interpersonal skills to empathetically manage multi-faceted situations (i.e., succinct communication, problem-solving abilities, de-escalation techniques)
• Working 36 hours per week, 12-hour shifts, day/evening/night rotation and every third weekend.
  
  

To Qualify, You Must Have

• A Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Minimum of 2 years acute care nursing experience, pediatric experience strongly preferred.
• Previous experience inserting and caring for vascular access devices strongly preferred.