Vascular accesses and infusional therapy: An experience report

Abstract

Introduction: The practice of intravenous infusion is necessary worldwide, benefiting millions of individuals daily in health recovery interventions at all levels of care (GORSKI et al, 2021). The opportunity to carry out the supervised practices of vascular access and infusion therapy, in a hospital environment that has an exclusive and specialized service for the evaluation of venous catheters and conditions for performing infusion therapy, with trained professionals and state-of-the-art material resources, adds value in the formation of knowledge, enabling the student to know a specific service for this purpose.  contributing directly to the training of a differentiated professional. Objective: To report the experience and activities developed in the Vascular Access and Infusion Therapy Team of a Hospital Complex. Methodology: This is a Qualitative Research, with a descriptive approach, of the experience report type. The study was developed during the supervised post-graduate internship practices, in a Vascular Access and Infusion Therapy Team, of a hospital complex in Southern Brazil, carried out from February to June 2022. The team has clinical nurses and a supervising nurse, these trained professionals are responsible for care practices related to vascular catheters and infusion therapy throughout the institution. Results: During the period of supervised practices, several activities studied in the theoretical contents were transposed to practice, dialoguing with multiprofessional knowledge, allowing the construction of unified theoretical/practical knowledge, such as: Inspection of puncture sites, catheter stabilization investigations and corrections, care such as evaluation of dressing conditions, signs of complications in puncture sites and catheters,  identification of dressings and validity of devices, among others. Final Considerations: When we perform our nursing actions, we naturally draw parallels between the realities of the known environments, referring to questions and the search for information that improves our care, that elevates nursing care, making it possible to level or seek to replicate positive experiences, searching for more appropriate resources, even if, many times, the realities of some services provoke feelings of utopia. The understanding of the functioning of a Venous Access Team, of the possibilities of implementing this specialized service, motivates the search for improvements in our daily care, considering that it is possible to build a team capable of meeting this need, conquering its professional space through statistical data and daily samples of productivity and relevance to health. Contributions/Implications for Nursing/Health: The experience in the Vascular and Infusion Therapy Team allowed me to observe and reflect on issues such as possibilities of improvement in some nursing processes in my own work environment, from the availability of materials that can be better managed between nursing services and pharmacy/warehouse, reducing waste of supplies and generating financial savings to the institution,  as well as perspectives for planning the time spent on processes.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2024.012-052