Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology
Volume 9, Issue 2 , Pages 99-103, October 2007

Overview of the Role of a Vascular Access Nurse Coordinator in the Optimization of Access Care for Patients Requiring Hemodialysis

  • Lesley C. Dinwiddie

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence and reprint requests to: Lesley C. Dinwiddie, 209 W Green Forest Ct, Cary NC 27518, USA. Fax: (+1) 919-859-0994

Senior Vice President, Institute for Clinical Excellence, Education and Research (ICEER), USA

Article Outline

The role of the vascular access coordinator is a highly specialized role that has been developed because of the complexity of vascular access for hemodialysis and the episodic nature of the complications that arise over time. This paper is an overview of the experience of a nephrology nurse who created and filled such a role in a large academic center in the US. Support for the role in the literature is cited, including the latest iteration of the KDOQI guidelines. [Hong Kong J Nephrol 2007;9(2):99–103]

Key words:  hemodialysis , nurse coordinator , vascular access

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References 

  1. Danese MD, Liu Z, Griffiths RI, Dylan M, Yu H-T, Dubois R, et al. Catheter use is high even among hemodialysis patients with a fistula or graft . Kidney Int . 2006;70:1482–1485
  2. Spergel L. Personal communication, 2007. Dr. Spergel is the Clinical Chair for the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative and is in the process of authoring several articles on vascular access in the US.
  3. National Kidney Foundation  . KDOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Access: update 2006 . Am J Kidney Dis . 2006;48:S176–S307
  4. Institute of Medicine  . Executive summary . In:  Greiner AC ,  Knebel E editor. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2003;p. 4
  5. Dinwiddie LC . Investing in the lifeline: the value of a vascular access coordinator . Nephrol News Issues . 2003;17:49; 52-3.
  6. Kalman PG , Pope M , Bhola C , Richardson R , Sniderman KW . A practical approach to vascular access for hemodialysis and predictors of success . J Vasc Surg . 1999;30:727–733
    Additional Reading
  1. The Position of the Vascular Access Coordinator: Breaking Ground for Better Outcomes . Available at: http://www.inno-vad.com/7155.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val* [Date accessed: June 15, 2007]
  2. Fistula First: Vascular Access Update . Available at: http://nephrologynursing.net/JA2006/dept/vascular/default.htm [Date accessed: June 22, 2007]
  3. Munschauer CE, Garrett WV, Smith BL, Pearl GJ, Shutze WP, Grimsley BR, et al. Vascular Access Coordination at a Large Tertiary Care Hospital . Available at: http://www.pvss.org/abstracts/wabs03/04.pdf [Date accessed: June 22, 2007]

PII: S1561-5413(08)60011-3

doi:10.1016/S1561-5413(08)60011-3

Hong Kong Journal of Nephrology
Volume 9, Issue 2 , Pages 99-103, October 2007

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