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Evaluation On-Demand Video ViewAttendees 60

(C2) New AVA Position Paper: DIVA – Strategies and Solutions for Insertion Success

Friday, September 19, 2025
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM ET
Location: Desoto 3-4
Earn 1 CE Hour(s)
On-Demand
Disclosure(s):
Lorelle Wuerz, PhD, MSN, RN, VA-BC™, NEA-BC: Baxter Healthcare: Consultant (Ongoing), Speaker's Bureau (Ongoing); The Clinician Exchange: Consultant (Ongoing)
Darcy Doellman, MSN, RN, VA-BC: B. Braun Medical Inc: Employed (Ongoing)
Peripheral IV insertion is one of the most common procedures in acute care, yet difficult intravenous access (DIVA) continues to compromise safety, delay treatment, and drive up healthcare costs. This session will examine recent evidence on the clinical, operational, and financial impact of DIVA, highlighting risk factors, patient experience data, and the limitations of current practice. We will present an evidence-based framework, that outlines nine (9) key practice recommendations. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to improve first-attempt success, preserve vessel health, and enhance patient-centered care across settings.

Learning Objectives:

  • 1. Define Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) and describe its clinical significance, including common risk factors and patient populations most affected by DIVA.
  • 2. Identify the impact of DIVA on patient outcomes, including treatment delays, procedural complications, increased healthcare costs, and patient satisfaction.
  • 3. Evaluate organizational and policy-level interventions, such as staff training, use of long IV catheters, and standardization of vascular access procedures to improve first-attempt success rates and preserve vessel integrity.
  • 4. Apply evidence-based strategies for early identification and management of DIVA, including the use of DIVA assessment tools, clinical decision support systems, escalation protocols, and vein visualization technologies.