Development of a Vascular Access Team in an acute care setting

In today's ever-changing acute care setting, justifying the allocation of resources for development and implementation of a Vascular Access Team (VAT) can often be challenging. The Infusion Nurses Society (2000), which establishes standards of practice for the infusion nursing profession, states that "the profession itself must seek control of its practice to assure the quality of its services to the public. A profession's concerns for quality services reflects its commitment to serving the community." This article discusses the steps that were taken in the development of a VAT in the acute care setting of Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin.