Choosing quality over quantity

Having worked in the specialist field of vascular access for almost 15 years, I was recently reflecting on the changes in vascular access we have seen during this time and throughout my career as a registered nurse.

When I qualified in 1996, siting a cannula was still seen as a specialist skill that sat predominantly within the remit of doctors. My cohort of qualifying nurses were among the first to be taught venepuncture and cannulation in our preceptorship. It was felt to be an innovative and proactive step in developing our skills to make us ready for our future healthcare careers.

Since then, the NHS seems to have adopted an approach where it is almost a right of passage for all qualified nurses to be taught cannulation, regardless of the number of patients in their care who actually require a cannula. Indeed, many nursing degrees now incorporate cannulation into the final year of training. All doctors receive cannulation instruction as part of their tuition, as well as a growing number of allied health professionals and healthcare support workers. However, is it time to reflect on whether this blanket approach to training is still right or if we have now gone for quantity of staff over quality?