Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation

Peripheral intravenous cannulas (PIVCs) are one of the most frequently required devices for patients in the acute setting. These devices also have a high complication rate and require thoughtful care and maintenance.

This Ausmed Course provides learners with a practical guide to best practices for the process of peripheral intravenous cannulation, taking an in-depth look at how to safely execute each step of this process through both lectures and hands-on demonstrations.

Nurses and other healthcare professionals looking to enhance their understanding of how to safely conduct the peripheral intravenous cannulation process, supplemental to their organisation’s training processes.

Around 70% of hospitalised patients require at least one peripheral intravenous cannula (PIVC) during their hospitalisation, making it one of the most commonly performed procedures in clinical settings. With an estimated 11 million patients admitted to hospitals in Australia during 2016-17, approximately 7.7 million Australians undergo this procedure each year.

In addition to this high prevalence, up to 69% of PIVCs are associated with complications, leading to up to 90% of PIVCs being removed before therapy is finished.

It is the challenge of the clinician to ensure best-practice techniques are consistently adhered to across the lifespan of a PIVC device in order to reduce complications, ensure patency of the PIVC, and achieve positive patient outcomes.

The purpose of this Ausmed Course is to provide a detailed and structured approach to best-practice peripheral intravenous cannulation in order to improve quality outcomes for patients and healthcare professionals in their practice.