Clinician Education

Staff Competencies

Assess staff upon hire and at least yearly in the following competencies (Note: not all categories will be applicable to all staff):

Gloving and hand hygiene (all staff) – includes recognition of appropriate situations for glove use/hand hygiene, proper use and removal of gloves, and proper hand hygiene technique.

Catheter dressing change technique – includes correct performance of hand hygiene, and use of gloves, and correct use of antiseptics (proper application and allow drying, etc).

Vascular access technique – includes correct performance of hand hygiene and use of gloves, catheter site and port/vascular access antisepsis, and aseptic technique.

Safe injection/safe medication practices – includes proper technique for

• parenteral medication preparation, handling, administration and storage (e.g., not in patient station, etc.)
• use of aseptic technique,
• proper hand hygiene before preparing or administering medications or infusions
• proper cleansing of medication injection ports and medication vial diaphragms.
• proper use and handling of single use vials and bags.

Areas for Patient Education

Patients with catheters:

• Hand hygiene
• General access care at home (e.g., bathing with a catheter)
• Signs and symptoms of infection
• How to respond if problems with catheter develop outside of the dialysis center
• Risks associated with catheters/importance of permanent access
• Basic infection control practices during catheter accessing process (as a means to engage patients)

Patients with other access types:

• Hand hygiene
• Washing the access site prior to treatment
• General access care at home (e.g., don’t scratch or pick at the site)
• Signs and symptoms of infection
• How to respond if problems with access develop outside of the dialysis center
• Basic infection control practices during cannulation process (as a means to engage patients)