Date of Award

Fall 2026

Abstract

Background. Rapid evolving technology and the use of Point-of-Care (POCUS) for Intravenous (IV) access requires a foundational understanding of ultrasound imaging, gadgetry, along with a basic understanding of anatomy and physiology. Initially, there is a steep learning curve; this is reduced with standardized training and techniques that will improve overall procedural performance. Designing educational frameworks is necessary as technology innovation expands to improve the way we prevent, screen, diagnosis, and treat patients.

Problem Statement. The national standard of care and best practice in pediatrics allows two attempts per provider for IV access. Unsuccessful IV attempts lead to patient discomfort and delays toward treatment plans and recovery. The unit's practice council identified the need for an action strategy to reduce the needs for central access and surgical consults for IV access.

AIM Statement. The primary aim of this quality improvement (QI) project is to meet the needs of the unit by creating a training workshop including didactic and simulation curricula for multiprofessionals training to implement POCUS guided IV access at the bedside. The global goal is to maintain the national standard of less than two IV attempts for successful cannulation, thus reducing the need for surgical consults and central access.

Methods. Providing a training workshop including didactic and simulation to provide foundational understanding of ultrasound imaging, gadgetry, along with basic understanding of anatomy and physiology to the NICU multidisciplinary team including nurses, advanced practice providers, neonatologist, and one NICU fellow. The training workshop evaluated knowledge confidence pre-evaluation and post- training, simulation competence, and each participant was certified to immediately use this procedural skill on patients after passing this training session.

Results. The evaluation focused on three phases and five objectives involving completion of a training workshop to guide a heterogenous group of professionals in a new procedural clinical skill. Post–training assessments demonstrated a statistically significant increase in self-reported confidence for POCUS guided IV placement across all participants. These findings confirm that the training curriculum was uniformly effective, yielding statistically significant gains in procedural confidence for all participating learners. Conclusion. POCUS- guided IV cannulation training workshop provides a powerful educational foundation for diverse healthcare professionals. However, its long-term value depends on sustainability. Future initiatives must focus on skill retention and creating structured pathways from the classroom to clinical practice. Optimizing this transition is essential to maximize clinical utility, improve procedural success, and enhance patient care outcomes.

Document Type

Clinical Doctorate

First Advisor

Eileen Hollis

Second Advisor

Rehman Chowdhry

Third Advisor

Kelly Grady

College or School

School of Nursing

Department or Program

DNP Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

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