From Local Innovation to National Impact: Implementation of a Nurse-Led Vascular Access Specialist Team and Implications for Infusion Nursing in Poland

BACKGROUND: Vascular access specialist teams (VASTs) are established worldwide to enhance the safety and efficiency of vascular access procedures. In Poland, nurse-led VASTs are a novel concept. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether implementation of a nurse-led VAST improved the efficiency and safety of vascular access devices in a large academic hospital in Poland. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included long peripheral intravenous catheters inserted from 2021 to 2024 and midline catheters inserted from 2022 to 2024. Data were obtained from hospital records and the electronic medical record (EMR) after integration of VAST documentation in 2023. Outcomes included insertion time, number of attempts, dwell and withdrawal times, and reasons for removal. RESULTS: Over the study period, time to catheter insertion decreased (14.27 days in 2022 vs 4.34 days in 2024), the number of insertion attempts declined, dwell and withdrawal times increased, and the proportion of removals due to complications decreased from 38.37% to 22.92%. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a nurse-led VAST improved efficiency and safety of vascular access, demonstrating fewer insertion attempts, longer dwell times, and lower complication rates. These findings indicate that the VAST model can be successfully adapted in health care systems where nurse-led vascular access practice has not previously existed.