Advancing Skills, Elevating Care

DONOR-FUNDED TRAINING EXPANDS CRUCIAL PICC LINE SERVICES

At St. John’s Health, the need for specialized services like PICC line placement is growing as patients require more acute levels of care. PICC lines (Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters) are crucial for those who need long-term intravenous treatments, such as chemotherapy, extended antibiotic therapy, or nutritional support.

A PICC line allows us to deliver these treatments directly into the bloodstream, ensuring they are administered efficiently over time without repeated needle sticks,” explains Deysi Tzompa, Clinical Educator and PICC RN. “This minimizes patient discomfort and reduces some complications related to the treatments.

Deysi Tzompa, Clinical Educator and trained PICC RN attends Nurse Skills Day.

Thanks to the generosity of St. John’s Health Foundation donors, St. John’s Health is expanding their team of trained RNs in the coming year to meet the growing need for PICC line services. “This heartfelt investment in our nursing team not only enhances patient care but ensures we can continue to provide the best possible outcomes for patients who are often too sick to travel elsewhere to receive this service,” Deysi continues.

Training nurses in PICC line placement is a thorough and demanding process. It begins with independent study, followed by hands-on training with ultrasound equipment and the PICC kit. After observing several procedures, nurses start performing the placements themselves under supervision. To further refine these skills, nurses attend advanced training at the University of Utah in a 10-day, multi-week program. This comprehensive process ensures that nurses are fully prepared to meet the needs of patients and deliver the highest standard of care at St. John’s Health.

NURSE SKILLS DAY

A nurse practices preparing I.V. medication.

As part of our commitment to providing the best possible care, St. John’s Health hosts Nurse Skills Day throughout the year, offering our nursing staff valuable opportunities to enhance their skills, learn new techniques, and stay current with the latest advancements in patient care. Continuing education is essential to maintaining the high standards our community expects. Nurse Skills Day enables our nurses to refine critical skills such as Buck’s Traction, preparing IV medication, and preventing needlestick injuries, while also building confidence and competence in other key areas of patient care.

A nurse practices Bucks Traction on a high-fidelity patient simulator generously donated by the Brinson Foundation.