Implementation sciences: Transformative potential for the advancement of nurses in vascular access care

This special article addresses the complexity of vascular access care and explores how implementation science can act as a catalyst to optimize vascular nursing practice. Although vascular access care is crucial, its quality is often unsatisfactory due to the diversity of procedures, technologies, and the need to adapt to each patient. Despite numerous improvement interventions, high complication rates and suboptimal use of these vascular devices persist. Implementation science can be a crucial strategy to overcome these identified challenges, recognizing the behaviors of healthcare professionals, especially nurses, and their relevance to ensure quality care within the local and organizational context. In this sense, it is challenging to integrate implementation science into the nursing practice of vascular care, such as resistance to change and resource constraints, but it also offers opportunities for innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration. We suggest reevaluating specialized nursing roles to focus on implementation of interventions and optimizing care decisions related to vascular access. This integration requires the development of new competencies and an understanding of the organizational context, key elements to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of interventions.