A Nurse-Led Ultrasound-Enhanced Vascular Access Preservation Program

: Insertion of peripheral iv catheters is a common practice in medical-surgical care settings. The frequency with which attempts are made to insert catheters causes rapid peripheral vessel depletion (a reduction in the number of usable veins), leading to the overuse of unnecessary central line catheters. Reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections is a national health care priority. In this quality improvement report, the authors describe the implementation of a nurse-led vascular access preservation program using ultrasound technology as a method to reduce the use of nonessential peripherally inserted central catheters.