A PICC Nurse is a registered nurse who has certification and expertise in vascular access. PICC stands for Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter and certification in this area can take up to six months.

Patient Assessment

One of the first roles of a PICC Nurse is to perform an overall evaluation on the patient. Under the direction of the doctor, you will make appropriate assessments of a patient that requires access through a peripherally inserted central catheter.

Catheter Insertion

This nursing position will also be responsible for the actual placement of the line under the supervision of the doctor. You will ensure the line placement was correctly inserted and that everything is working appropriately.

Patient Monitoring

A PICC Nurse will also perform on-going data monitoring of the patient--monitoring the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the catheter placement. Any post-care management will be under your jurisdiction as well.

Education

An undergraduate degree in nursing and an RN are required for a PICC position. You will also need to obtain a PICC certification to work as a PICC Nurse.

Certification

In order to operate as a PICC Nurse, you will need to obtain a PICC certification. The PICC certification program can take up to six months. You must have successfully made ten placements to be certified and at least thirty a year to maintain the certification.