Facilities may ask for PICC line certification before approving clinicians to pick up shifts involving this work. Unlike a facility orientation, this credential belongs to the clinician and carries between employers.
What a PICC is
A peripherally inserted central catheter runs from a vein in the arm to a large central vein near the heart. It supports treatments that would damage smaller vessels or that need to run for weeks, including certain antibiotics, chemotherapy, and parenteral nutrition, and it spares a patient repeated attempts at peripheral access.
Insertion and maintenance are different credentials
Worth separating, because credential lists do. Insertion generally requires specific training and often ultrasound guidance, and in many settings it is done by a dedicated vascular access team. Maintenance, which covers dressing changes, flushing, and monitoring for complications, is far more widely performed. A certification may cover either or both, and a facility asking for one is not necessarily asking for the other.
Why certification is documented
Central line complications are serious, and bloodstream infections associated with them are among the events healthcare organizations track most closely. Facilities document who is trained to handle these lines rather than assuming it, which is why the credential appears on a list rather than sitting under general nursing practice.
Who holds it
Typically registered nurses, though scope varies by state and setting. Certification for this work is one of the additions that tends to widen the range of assignments available, particularly in higher-acuity environments.
How to add this credential to your Nursa profile
For a certification, this generally means uploading proof issued by the certifying body.
- Navigate to your Profile in the Nursa app.
- Locate Credentials on your profile view.
- Select the "+" button.
- Select "Add Credential."
- Select the credential you want to add.
- Follow the instructions to add your credential.
Depending on the credential type, this may require uploading proof of the certification, reviewing and signing a document, or completing a facility-required training in ShiftReady. ShiftReady is an online learning management platform that offers clinicians access to a library of third-party training resources.
Not on Nursa yet? Begin picking up RN PRN shifts with Nursa.
