UKOMNAS PDVF study plan

Map the scope of the PDVF role against each of the ten exam domains and rate your current confidence 1-5 per domain to build a personal gap list.

List at least eight peripheral venous device types (peripheral IV cannula, midline, extended-dwell, safety-engineered devices) and state gauge, length, flow characteristics and typical indication for each.

Describe the step-by-step peripheral cannulation sequence from device selection through dressing and securement, writing it out from memory and then correcting against a reference text.

Explain how ultrasound visualizes needle tip, vessel wall and surrounding structures in short-axis and long-axis views, and label a hand-drawn diagram of both orientations.

Identify the vessel-selection criteria (depth, diameter, straightness, compressibility, adjacency to artery or nerve) that make a vein suitable for ultrasound-guided cannulation.

Trace the venous anatomy of the upper limb from dorsal metacarpal veins through cephalic, basilic and median cubital veins to the axillary and subclavian system, annotating a self-drawn diagram.

Relate each major vessel's anatomical relations (artery, nerve, tendon, bony landmark) to the puncture risks at that site and write one sentence of risk per vessel.

Explain the physiology of venous return and how valves, vessel caliber, and patient position (dependent versus elevated limb) affect filling and cannulation success.

Perform and document a structured vascular assessment on a simulated or real patient: inspection, palpation, tourniquet test, and ultrasound survey of at least three candidate sites.

Compare gauge, length, catheter-to-vein ratio and dwell time across peripheral devices and justify device choice for three contrasting clinical scenarios.

Distinguish central venous access devices by insertion site and tip location (CVC, PICC, midline, implanted port) and state indication, typical dwell time and removal triggers for each.

Outline the PICC insertion workflow from order verification through tip positioning, securement and post-insertion confirmation, listing the decision point at each stage.

Explain tip-location verification methods (intravascular ECG, plain radiograph, ultrasound of the RA junction) and the strengths and limits of each.

Describe the anatomy relevant to central access - internal jugular, subclavian, axillary and brachiocephalic veins, superior vena cava, and the structures at risk (pleura, artery, thoracic duct, phrenic nerve).

Compare landmark, ultrasound-guided and ECG-tip-confirmed approaches and articulate when each is preferred.

Order the full pre-procedural sequence - indication, assessment, consent, skin preparation, maximal barrier precautions, insertion, dressing, documentation - and defend the position of each step.

Explain the evidence linking hand hygiene, chlorhexidine skin antisepsis, maximal sterile barrier precautions and hub disinfection to bloodstream infection reduction, and state the specific practice for each.

Distinguish clean, aseptic and sterile technique and identify which procedures in vascular access require which standard.

Apply a structured pre-procedural patient evaluation to three case vignettes: coagulopathy, difficult access history, and suspected infection at the intended site.

Draft the elements of valid informed consent for a vascular access procedure, including risks, benefits, alternatives and the patient's right to refuse.

Classify vascular access complications by timing (immediate, early, late) and by device (peripheral versus central), naming at least fifteen distinct complications with their mechanism.

Write a recognition-to-action algorithm for each of: arterial puncture, extravasation, air embolism, catheter-related thrombosis, occlusion, and infiltration.

Explain the pathophysiology and prevention of phlebitis, and state the grading scale and the action threshold for device removal at each grade.

Describe the emergency management sequence for air embolism and for anaphylaxis during a vascular access procedure, including positioning, oxygen and escalation.

Practice ultrasound-guided in-plane needling on a phantom for at least 30 minutes, tracking tip visibility and accidental posterior-wall puncture.

Describe the evidence-based maintenance bundle for each device type: dressing change frequency, securement, flush and lock solutions, and patency assessment.

Explain the mechanism of catheter-related bloodstream infection and the specific maintenance practices that interrupt each link in the chain.

Demonstrate the correct sequence for blood sampling and flushing from a central device, including discard volume and the purpose of each step.

State the criteria and the procedure for planned versus urgent device removal, including post-removal hemostasis and tip culture when infection is suspected.

Identify three maintenance failures that commonly appear in incident reports and describe the corrective action for each.

List the documentation elements required for insertion, maintenance and removal, and identify which omissions create the greatest clinical and legal exposure.

Explain how audit, incident reporting and root-cause analysis feed clinical governance in a vascular access service, using one worked example.

Describe the professional scope of practice, competence assessment and supervision requirements for a PDVF practitioner, and where delegation boundaries lie.

Apply the four ethical principles to two scenarios: a competent adult refusing cannulation, and a patient who lacks capacity and needs urgent access.

Outline the legal concepts of duty of care, consent, confidentiality and documentation as they apply to vascular access practice.

Re-rate confidence 1-5 across all ten domains and compare against the week 1 baseline to identify residual gaps.

Complete at least 120 practice questions across all domains and review every incorrect answer to its underlying concept, not just the correct option.

Re-teach the three weakest domains in writing from memory, then correct against source material to expose remaining misconceptions.

Assemble a one-page summary sheet of high-yield numbers, thresholds and sequences (dwell times, flush volumes, phlebitis grades, barrier requirements).

Rehearse the full procedural sequence for peripheral and central access aloud within time limits to build exam-day recall fluency.