Vascular Access from the Inside Out
The author discusses her personal experiences, which have spanned 22 years, living with catheter lines and educating other practitioners on the patient/nurse interaction. This article details the experience from both a patient's and a nurse's perspective and provides advice for other medical staff who place central line catheters.Abstract
Contributor Notes
Sheila Messina, RN, MA, CLNC, is a clinical nurse manager employed by I-Flow, Inc., in the northern California Bay Area. She is also an independent education consultant. Living with a central line for more than 20 years has provided her with invaluable experiences that she details for clinicians. The information presented in this article comes from her unique viewpoint of one who knows what it is like to live as a patient and function as a nurse.