Becton Dickinson recognizes TecSalud for vascular access management

TecSalud has been internationally recognized by Becton Dickinson (BD) and the Infusion Nurses Society (INS) as a Center of Clinical Excellence for Vascular Access Management.

The award was given to nursing staff for having created a standardized protocol for peripheral vascular access management, which benefits hospitalized patients.

“I celebrate this award and the creation of the protocol because we’re ensuring the safety of patients through this standardization,” said Leticia Solís, Director of Nursing at TecSalud.

“It’s a privilege to be recognized in this way because it demonstrates the commitment of our nurses to do things well and this achievement is one more star to add to our list of accreditations,” she added.

It’s important to note that TecSalud is the second Latin American institution to receive the recognition and the first in Mexico to create a Peripheral Vascular Access Surveillance Clinic.

Collaborating with TecSalud to develop protocol

Last year, international medical technology company BD invited TecSalud to evaluate different aspects of the peripheral vascular access procedure.

This procedure is practiced daily on hospitalized patients and consists of placing a catheter into the back of the hand or arm so as to be able to administer medications and other liquid treatments.

Success in the first attempt to place the catheter, thereby avoiding pain and discomfort for the patient as well as bruises, infections and other problems derived from this practice, were some of the issues that were evaluated.

This year, the results were sent to the INS, an international non-profit organization which provides resources and knowledge to health professionals involved in the intravenous administration of drugs (infusion).

“I was very happy when I heard that TecSalud had received this award,” said María de Lourdes Meléndez, Manager of Medical Affairs at BD Mexico.

“We’re very proud to have supported TecSalud through technology, training, and support so they could carry out the study which reported good practices being applied within the protocol,” she added.

Health centers from across Latin America participated in the contest. Through an evaluation committee, the INS determined who had obtained the best results in the different aspects of the protocol.

Creating the Catheter Clinic

The TecSalud nursing team decided to create the Catheter Clinic during the period for identifying areas of opportunity, implementing best practices, and monitoring results.

“It is a privilege to be recognized in this way because it demonstrates the commitment of our nurses to doing things well.” - Leticia Solís

The aim of the clinic is to evaluate implementation of the standardized protocol for placing peripheral vascular access devices, and it’s the first clinic in Mexico to take this approach.

“It’s been a period of constant effort, ever since we began the project to establish a standardized protocol for peripheral vascular access,” said Missael Morales, leader of the Catheter Clinic at TecSalud.

“We faced several challenges in creating a culture of change within our health personnel so they could implement best practices. It has been an honor to be part of this clinic, the first of its kind nationwide,” he highlighted.

Irma Gutiérrez, leader of Nurse Training at TecSalud, said that representatives of other national hospitals would soon be invited to learn about the implementation of the protocol in TecSalud hospitals.

“We hope to become consultants on this protocol so that we can share good practices that are reflected in the improvement of patient care, which are aligned with our philosophy of quality and safety,” said Gutiérrez.

Leticia Solís thanked the nursing staff for their efforts during the award ceremony, which took place at the Zambrano Hellion Hospital and included the participation of BD and TecSalud representatives.

She also invited them to continue fighting for the transformation and empowerment of nursing, which translates into the wellbeing of all patients.

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