Students at the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing are able to get an inside look at veins with the VeinVeiwer technology, donated by Christie Medical Holdings earlier this semester.
The Vein Viewer is able to project real-time images of a patient’s vein pattern directly onto their skin in order to assist nurses in accessing the veins.
The technology uses a harmless wavelength of near infrared light to flood skin and hemoglobin, which is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The hemoglobin absorbs the light while the surrounding tissue disperses it. A camera on the VeinViewer is then able to capture the information of absorption and dispersion and, by using an LED light, projects the information as an image directly onto the patient’s skin to provide real-time feedback.
The VeinViewer is simply an additional tool to make it easier for nurses to find good sites to draw blood and put in IV’s. In addition, the technology is able to show what is happening under the skin, which helps nurses monitor IV’s and prevent potential problems from arising.
“There is that wow factor of being able to see the things you can’t normally see with the naked eye, like veins and what is going on more closely (in a patient),” said Jeanne Cary, a lab manager at the School of Nursing said. “Both students and faculty are extremely appreciative of Christie Medical for donating this.”
The VeinViewer was donated to the nursing school earlier this semester, and has already been implemented in the classroom and simulation labs to help give students practical experience with new technology.
“Our students are using the VeinViewer to solidify the information they are learning in the classroom and in the lab,” Carey said. “Sometimes it’s supplying that aha moment that gives them that confidence to go into the clinical setting knowing what to do.”
Christie Medical donated the VeinVewier after an experiences working with Baylor Scott and White.
“We were really impressed with how dedicated the facility was to the training process and we wanted to donate (the VeinViewer) to the nursing school so nursing students coming into the hospital could have more experience with the technology,” said Erin Shelton, the product manager for Christie Medical Holdings said.
Shelton said the VeinViewer is an easy-to-use technology that is proven to improve patient safety, care and satisfaction, especially for patients who are young, elderly, obese or have chronic illnesses that require additional help with vascular access.
“The VeinViewer can be a huge aid and enhancement to the skill for the nurse,” Carey said. “It allows them to have confidence in the site they select.”
Faculty members at the nursing school are buzzing with excitement about the new technology because of the impact it will have on nursing students preparing for the professional world.
“When students get into clinical studies they are comfortable with it, they know what it’s there for and they know how to use it,” Carey said. “It helps decrease anxiety and increase confidence, which is very important in determining how successful a student will be.”
