The Ingram School of Nursing’s Vascular Access Student Club (VASC) team of talented executives and dedicated faculty advisors scored big at the 2025 National Canadian Vascular Access Association (CVAA) Conference held in PEI in May. The team was awarded 2nd place overall for their ultrasound-guided PIV insertion poster and won the People’s Choice Award for their student-led influenza vaccination clinic poster.
Over a period of two days, they learned about the latest advancements in vascular access technologies from leading experts in the field while enjoying the breathtaking seaside views of Prince Edward Island. in addition to presenting two research posters, the McGill VASC chapter hosted a skills lab at the conference. The first research poster focused on the efficacy of ultrasound-guided PIV insertion in terms of improving nursing students’ knowledge of and confidence with this skill. The second research poster focused on the efficacy of a student-led influenza vaccination clinic in improving nursing students’ confidence and knowledge of vaccination, health promotion, and public health initiatives. Their skills lab demonstrated the importance of the purposeful use of social media use to deliver evidence-based vascular access information.
With a focus on vascular access education, VASC organized several informative, hands-on workshops hosted at the Ingram School of Nursing throughout the year. For example, Geraldine Shaack, Vascular Access Nurse at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, led a workshop for nursing students on updated and evidence-based pediatric vascular access. The session allowed students to expand their knowledge and improve their confidence in working with this specialized patient population.
Another educational workshop, presented by Solventum Canada, delved into best practices for skin protection and disinfection for patients with central venous access devices (CVADs). Students learned about the latest CVAD dressings, and were introduced to evidence-based practices and techniques for maintaining skin integrity and reducing risks of infection.
To end off the academic year, on June 5th, VASC hosted an IV Insertion Workshop in collaboration with BD (Becton Dickinson), focused on ANTT (Aseptic Non-Touch Technique), a key technique for maintaining sterility and patient safety during vascular access procedures. Attended by 20 RNs and LPNs along with several faculty members, the session included an educational presentation, hands-on guided practice, and interactive skill-building using BD's Nexiva™ and Insyte Autoguard™ devices.
As noted by Victoria Kirby, who served as VP-Internal for the 2024-2025 academic year, “We are all incredibly grateful to our presenters throughout the year for sharing their expertise with our students. The experience of attending this year’s CVAA conference was amazing and we are proud of the work we were able to accomplish!"
Photo caption
Accepting the People's Choice Awards, left to right:
Emma Lockett, Victoria Kirby, Alexandra Babakhanova, William Landry, Marnie O’Brien, Caroline Marchionni, Daniel Shapiro-Callahan, Vie Kupovics, Juan Avila Amariles, Chanda MacDonald