Specific Health Issues: Vascular Access -- SHNIC School Nurses Information

1. Student's underlying condition, as well as potential problems associated with the condition or treatment.
2. The need for an additional dressing kit, spare clamp, heparin, saline and syringes as necessary.
3. Notification about the vascular access to school staff who have regular contact with the student.
4. Report of any fever to the family or primary physician.
5. Proper hand washing before and after handling vascular access.
6. Determine whether or not dressing needs to be changed under sterile conditions.
7. Determine when and under what conditions the tubing or the dressing should be handled.
8. Steps to be taken if a complication occurs.
9. Prescribed dosage of flush with use of correct syringe size, and correct amount of flush.
10. Latex allergy alert.
11. Universal precautions, including what equipment would be needed for student and caregiver.

Important Issues (Checklist):

1. Type of line student has.
2. Diagnosis and reason for vascular access.
3. Does student receive treatment or flush at school?
4. If student has a port, is it accessed?
5. Does student have dressing kit with him or her?
6. If student has central line, does the student have clamps with him or her?
7. Does the student have extra heplock caps at school?
8. Does the student know how to care for their access?
9. If you have to flush line, do you have the order from doctor stating amount and type of flush?
10. Does the student have a latex allergy?
11. Guidelines of when to notify physician (i.e., fever, pus, line pulled out, etc.).
12. Do you have orders of what size syringe to use for flushing line?

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