Frequently Asked Questions (continued)

What is required for PICC Line certification or IV certification?

In the U.S. true IV Certification is obtained by passing an exam and meeting the requirements of the Infusion Nurses Certification Corporation (INCC). The INCC awards the credential of CRNI- Certified Registered Nurse Infusion. The INCC is affiliated with the Infusion Nurses Society (INS). In general the CRNI credential is maintained by completing a required number of INCC continuing education units within a three year period, or by retaking the CRNI exam every three years.

The word certification is used a lot, in most cases employers require the health care professional to be credentialed (meaning found to be competent) in performing procedures based upon satisfying a set of criteria based on the organization's policies. Different organizations may have different criteria to consider an individual health care professional "IV certified" or credentialed according to the organization's policy and procedures. The same is true for "PICC Line Certification". In general most organizations will require that the individual complete an educational program followed by that individual performing a certain number of supervised successful catheter insertions.

Some training companies advertise claims of "national certification". Where is the certification coming from? Is the company making the claim truly offering a certification from the company itself? Is the company earning a fee for initial and re-certifications? If so, how valuable is the certification and what standards is it based on? Upon completion of a PICC Resource Associates, LLC PICC, Midline, and/or IV insertion program, the participant is awarded a certificate of completion and contact hours are earned. The contact hours are from an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) provider and are valid nationally. Our IV, Midline, and PICC Line insertion classes offer a thorough and comprehensive education based on current infusion industry practices, guidelines, and standards. PICC Resource educational programs more than meet most organizational requirements for IV, Midline, and/or PICC Line credentialing.

Additionally for class participants, we can offer clinical supervision onsite with an organization's aproval. This option works out well when in-house precepting is unavailable. The organization's clinical training requirements for insertions in patients can be completed under the guidance of our IV nurse specialists.

Does the one day phlebotomy class meet requirements for phlebotomy certification?

Beware of claims offering phlebotomy certification in one day! Anyone can claim to offer certification and employers are aware that the term is loosely used by a lot of companies. Where is the certification from? National certification through a private company means very little. True certification is designed to be a marker of competancy to demonstrate criteria has been met to perform procedures safely and independently. This is legitimately granted by organizations that set standards and guidelines for the industry such as the National Phlebotomy Association (NPA), and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI). Knowing the requirements of the true national phlebotomy certification organizations and in fairness to our course participants we do not offer a meaningless “certification” for attending our one day phlebotomy class.

PICC Resource Associates, LLC offers a one day phlebotomy class designed as a continuing education class for healthcare professionals and students who are employed in or have a strong background in healthcare. Upon completion of th the class the participant is awarded a certificate of completion and 7.1 contact hours. The contact hours are valid nationally and awarded by through the New York State Nurses Association, an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) provider. The class material is based on current CLSI standards and is taught by a instructor who is both a certified infusion specialist (CRNI) and a certified phlebotomy instructor, certified by the NPA. Our phlebotomy class is designed to prepare participants to understand and perform phlebotomy procedures. We also provide the tools needed for the participant to continue to pursue legitimate phlebotomy certification after our program. For more information on the phlebotomy class content, click here.

E-mail: info@piccresource.com