A library of about 70 institution-ready, evidence-cited vascular access policies — insertion, maintenance and care, complication management, medication administration, blood sampling, infection prevention, and operations — free to read and adaptable with attribution.
Vascular access policies are the institutional documents that turn evidence into required practice: who may insert and manage which devices, how insertion and maintenance are performed, what happens when a complication occurs, and how it is all documented. This library contains roughly 70 institution-ready policy documents covering the full span of vascular access and infusion practice — insertion, maintenance and care, complications, medication administration, blood sampling, infection prevention, and program operations.
Each policy follows the same structure an accrediting surveyor expects to find: a policy statement, purpose, scope, procedure-level requirements, and a numbered, DOI-linked reference list. They are written in institution-neutral language so they can be adapted to a specific facility, and they are free to read and adaptable with attribution. They are reference documents, not turnkey governance — local committee review, legal review, and medical direction decide what your institution actually adopts.
The policies operationalize published standards rather than invent practice. Recurring sources, cited inline in each document:
For the synthesis of all of these standards, see the Vascular Access Guidelines & CPGs hub. For the clinical background behind the policies, see the Vascular Access pillar.
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Vascular Access Device Selection and Insertion Planning | Matching device to therapy, duration, and vessel health before insertion |
| Vascular Access Device Insertion | Insertion requirements across device types |
| Evidence-Based Selection and Clinical Monitoring | Selection standards and ongoing clinical monitoring |
| Site Preparation and Skin Antisepsis | Antiseptic agents, application, and dry time |
| CVAD Tip Location | Tip position standards and confirmation methods |
| Vascular Visualization Technology | Ultrasound and near-infrared visualization requirements |
| Informed Consent for Vascular Access Procedures | Consent elements and documentation |
| Pain Management for Vascular Access Procedures | Procedural analgesia and comfort measures |
| Implanted Vascular Access Ports | Port access, care, and deaccessing |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Intraosseous Vascular Access | IO insertion, dwell limits, and conversion |
| Umbilical Catheter Management in Neonates | UVC/UAC management |
| Neuraxial Access Devices | Epidural and intrathecal device management |
| Subcutaneous Infusion and Access Devices | Subcutaneous access and hypodermoclysis |
| Vascular Access for Hemodialysis | Fistula, graft, and dialysis catheter considerations |
| Vascular Access for Therapeutic Apheresis | Access requirements for apheresis |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Flushing and Locking of VADs | Flush solutions, technique, volumes, and lock therapy |
| Administration Set Management | Set change intervals and handling |
| Needleless Connectors | Connector disinfection and change frequency |
| Add-On Devices | Extensions, stopcocks, and add-on device control |
| Filtration | In-line filter requirements by therapy |
| Flow-Control Devices | Pumps and gravity flow-control requirements |
| Site Protection and Joint Stabilization | Protecting sites and stabilizing areas of flexion |
| VAD Securement | Securement methods and dressing integrity |
| Post-Insertion Care | Assessment, dressing, and site care during dwell |
| Optimizing Vascular Device Removal | Removal criteria and safe removal practice |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| VAD-Related Infections | Prevention, recognition, and management |
| Air Embolism | Prevention and emergency management |
| Catheter-Associated Thrombosis | Risk reduction, recognition, and management |
| VAD Occlusion | Prevention, assessment, and clearance |
| Phlebitis | Grading, prevention, and response |
| Infiltration and Extravasation | Recognition, staging, and management including vesicants |
| Catheter-Associated Skin Injury | MARSI prevention, assessment, and management |
| CVAD Malposition | Assessment, prevention, and repositioning pathways |
| Catheter Damage, Embolism, Repair, and Exchange | Damaged catheter management and exchange |
| Nerve Injury | Prevention and response to procedure-related nerve injury |
| Adverse Event Management and Reporting | Event response, disclosure, and reporting |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Hand Hygiene | Indications, technique, and compliance |
| Aseptic Non-Touch Technique (ANTT) | The ANTT framework for clinical procedures |
| Standard Precautions | Baseline precautions for all care |
| Transmission-Based Precautions | Contact, droplet, and airborne precautions |
| Medical Waste and Sharps Safety | Sharps handling and waste streams |
| Latex Allergy and Sensitivity Management | Latex-safe care requirements |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Infusion Medication and Solution Administration | Core infusion administration requirements |
| Administration of Antineoplastic Therapy | Chemotherapy administration safeguards |
| Biologic Therapy Administration | Biologic-specific administration requirements |
| Parenteral Nutrition Administration | PN administration and line requirements |
| Blood Administration | Transfusion administration practice |
| Blood and Fluid Warming | Warming device indications and limits |
| Patient-Controlled Analgesia | PCA safety and monitoring |
| Moderate Sedation and Analgesia via IV Infusion | Sedation administration and monitoring |
| Compounding and Preparation of Parenteral Solutions | Preparation and compounding standards |
| Hazardous Drug Management | Handling and exposure control |
| Controlled Substance Diversion Prevention | Diversion prevention and surveillance |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Blood Sampling via Vascular Access Devices | Sampling from PIVs and CVADs, discard and waste practice, hemolysis mechanisms and prevention |
| Therapeutic Phlebotomy | Therapeutic phlebotomy procedure and monitoring |
| Policy | Scope |
|---|---|
| Competency and Competency Validation | Initial and ongoing competency requirements |
| Documentation in the Health Record | Required documentation elements across the device lifecycle |
| Quality Improvement in Vascular Access | Metrics, surveillance, and improvement cycles |
| Scope of Practice and Professional Boundaries | Who may perform which procedures |
| Service Delivery Models and Operational Scope | Team structures and service coverage |
| Strategic Planning and Implementation of VA Services | Building and scaling a vascular access service |
| Product Management and Device Safety | Product evaluation, recalls, and device safety |
| Interprofessional Safety and Care Transitions | Handoffs and cross-team safety |
| Evidence-Based Practice and Research | EBP integration and research participation |
| Patient Education in Infusion Therapy | Teaching requirements and materials |
| Foundations of Clinical Practice and Specialized Populations | Practice foundations and population-specific management |
Adapting a policy for your institution is mostly a governance exercise: replace the institution-neutral language with your facility’s structures, reconcile the requirements against your formulary and scope-of-practice rules, route it through the owning committee, and set the review date. The evidence citations travel with the document, which shortens the review cycle — reviewers can check the source rather than reconstruct it. Attribution to The Clinical Database is required when adapting; see the citation guidance in each document’s footer.
Keeping an adopted policy current is the harder half of the job: the INS Standards, CDC guidance, and society guidelines move on their own schedules, and every change ripples through a policy manual measured in hundreds of documents. That maintenance burden is also a software problem — qPolicy by Intracav exists to keep institutional policy libraries aligned with current evidence, with a dedicated org-wide AI instance for policy and compliance work.
Mandates comprehensive, health-literacy-appropriate patient and caregiver education for all vascular access and infusion therapy encounters, defines the required educational content, and establishes the teach-back and return demonstration standards for verification of learning.
Mandates the integration of vascular access expertise into cross-disciplinary institutional safety programs and establishes the standards for safe care transitions involving patients with indwelling vascular access devices across acute, community, home, and long-term care settings.
Establishes the legal, ethical, and procedural requirements for obtaining, documenting, and maintaining informed consent for vascular access procedures, including the components of the consent discussion, requirements for emergency situations, and provisions for patients who lack decision-making capacity.
Establishes the foundational principles governing the administration of infusion therapy and the management of vascular access devices across all specialized patient populations, including pediatric, neonatal, obstetric, and geriatric cohorts.
Mandates that all vascular access device selection, antiseptic agent selection, and infusion technology decisions be rooted in demonstrated clinical evidence and patient outcomes, and establishes the systematic clinical monitoring requirements for all vascular access devices.
Establishes the organizational commitment to evidence-based practice in vascular access, mandates the continuous revision of policies based on current research, defines the implementation science framework for translating evidence into bedside practice, and outlines the infrastructure requirements for supporting clinician-researchers.
Establishes the standards, requirements, and minimum data elements for clinical documentation of all vascular access events—from insertion through removal—in the electronic health record, including insertion documentation, ongoing assessment, medication administration, and the integration of EHR clinical decision support tools.
Establishes the standards, framework, and requirements for initial and ongoing competency assessment and validation for all clinicians performing vascular access and infusion therapy procedures, including educational delivery methods, simulation requirements, insertion training protocols, and program evaluation metrics.
Establishes standards for the safe insertion of all vascular access devices, including peripheral intravenous catheters, central venous access devices, and arterial catheters, with requirements for aseptic technique, ultrasound guidance, and complication management.
Establishes supplementary infection prevention standards beyond standard precautions for patients with known or suspected communicable disease, including contact, droplet, and airborne precaution requirements, enhanced barrier precautions in long-term care, and crisis standards for pandemic response.