Passion for fixing leads to increased CVC access in Bloomington

“At every place I’ve ever worked, I find something nobody likes or wants to do, and I fix it,” says Darren Judge, RN. “I make that my passion, and I fix that problem.”

His latest passion is expanding the IU Health Bloomington Vascular Access team’s service to include registered nurses trained to place central venous catheters (CVC).

What are CVCs?

CVCs are long, thin tubes that go from smaller veins in areas like the arm or neck to a large vein in the chest. They’re used when a patient’s veins won’t do well with a regular IV, when a line is needed for extended periods, or for certain medications.

While some doctors place CVCs regularly, the procedure is delicate and asking for a consult from those with more experience is common.

The Bloomington project would give these providers the option to request assistance from an on-call, trained nurse and lessen wait times for patient treatment. The problem was that the program had stalled before Judge joined the team.

Getting the program off the ground

Judge continued his regular duties while completing training—which included a SIM lab session with Bob Adams, DO, factory training with the manufacturer, and independent study. When it was time to complete the required 10 physician-precepted sticks, he was all in.

“I approached my manager, Jina Song, and said I’d be available 24/7 until this was complete,” says Judge. “Some physicians took me under their wing and said, ‘We’re going to get this done for you and get this program moving.’”

Within three weeks, Judge had his 10 precepted placements.

Song had to run everything through the needed committees and get the final pieces in place, but the requests started coming in when the red tape cleared.

Judge placed his 100th CVC in June 2024, less than a year after he started training.

Expanding expertise

The new service—which now has two on-call team members—has some notable features, including a tool to help guide the end of the catheter exactly where it needs to be and a sutureless securement device for where the tube enters the skin.

The team also introduced the option for a Jugular Axillo-Subclavian Central Catheter (JACC), which is very small compared to the usual tubes and can be placed in the neck.

“We were placing really large lines in the neck, which isn’t always needed or may not be the best option for their pre-existing medical issues,” says Judge. “We presented the JACC to the physicians, and they saw the opportunity to better care for many patients with this new tool.”

Judge describes it as an almost overnight success when the team went from five or six requests a month, to getting over 20 a month.

“We’re just excited it’s done as well as it has,” says Judge. “I’m very proud of this program and look forward to it getting bigger and being able to help more patients.”