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Fistula Awareness Week
Suggested Activities
Fistula Awareness Week is
February 1–5, 2010
The arteriovenous (AV) fistula is the safe, healthy choice for life. Celebrate successful fistula use in your facility by participating in Fistula Awareness Week: February 1 – 5, 2010. You could even earn a patient safety “diamond” in the process!
Fistula Awareness Week is designed to make dialysis patients more A.W.A.R.E. of their vascular access options and to promote healthy fistula use. Participation is voluntary, but we strongly encourage it for the health and safety of your patients.
Listed below are suggested activities for dialysis patients and staff members to complete before and during Fistula Awareness Week . There are several learning activities for each step, which can be completed in any order and at any pace. We recommend that staff members cover all five (5) of the steps with their dialysis patients to achieve the maximum benefit of the week-long program.
Earn a “DIAMOND” in the process!
Several of the suggested activities can be linked to a 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program module , which provides a great opportunity for your unit to participate in this important program. Click here to download the 5-Diamond brochure.
Suggested Activities
Before Fistula Awareness Week…
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Review the five (5) steps of “A.W.A.R.E.” activities below and designate a team leader for each.
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Talk to your patients about participating in Fistula Awareness Week.
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Visit the Fistula First Breakthrough Initiative's (FFBI) website to see how dialysis facility staff can increase AV fistula use among dialysis patients.
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Share this informational fistula brochure with patients and/or family members: Frequently Asked Questions for Patients and Families - developed by the FFBI Coalition.
During Fistula Awareness Week…
Teach Patients How to be A.W.A.R.E. of their Vascular Accesses!
A sk questions about the best access for you.
W ash your access before each treatment.
A ssess your own access: look, listen and feel.
R eact quickly to access problems.
E ducate yourself.
Step 1: Ask questions about the best access for you.
Activities:
- Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
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Understanding Your Hemodialysis Access Options brochure - developed by American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)
(English version) (Spanish version) -
Hemodialysis Access: What You Need to Know brochure - developed by the National Kidney Foundation
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In Control: Focus on Fistulas patient newsletter - developed by Life Options (MEI)
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Just the Facts: Vascular Access fact sheet - developed by Life Options (MEI)
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What You Need to Know About Your Access: Getting the Most From Your Treatment brochure - developed by the National Kidney Foundation
Step 2: Wash your access before each treatment.
Activities:
- Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
- Complete the Hand Hygiene (Infection Control) 5-Diamond module.
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Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
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Hand Hygiene word search - developed by Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition
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The Importance of Washing Your Access article - written by Lynda Ball, BS, BSN, RN, CNN, Northwest Renal Network
Step 3: Assess your own access: look, listen and feel.
Activities:
- Complete Stenosis Surveillance (NEW) 5-Diamond module.
- Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
- Caring For & Developing Your New Fistula brochure - developed by the Heartland Kidney Network
- Maintaining Your Lifeline patient newsletter - developed by ESRD Network #12. Includes a venous pressure chart, word scramble activity and renal-friendly recipes.
- Protect Your Lifeline brochure and word scramble - developed by Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition
- Stenosis Monitoring and Surveillance word search - developed by Mid-Atlantic Renal Coalition
- Your Access Care Pocket Guide - developed by The Renal Network
- Recorded AV fistula sounds for a normal bruit , a bruit with stenosis and an abnormal AV fistula whistle - submitted to FFBI by Dr. Tushar Vachharajani, MD, FACP, FASN
Step 4: React quickly to access problems.
Activities:
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Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
- Vascular Access Passport tracking chart and protection plan card - developed by The ESRD Network of New England
- Fistula Complications: Stenosis & Thrombosis; Non-Surgical Interventions brochure - developed by Heartland Kidney Network
- What You Need to Know About Your Access: Getting the Most From Your Treatment brochure - developed by the National Kidney Foundation (pages 13-14 discuss what to do when access problems occur)
- “Be Safe” poster - developed by The Renal Network, Inc. Includes information the importance of keeping your access site uncovered during treatment.
Step 5: Educate yourself.
Activities:
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Share one or more of the following educational materials with your patients:
- FFBI's Change Concept 13: Support patient efforts to live the best possible quality of life through self-management - developed by the FFBI. Includes a self-cannulation example procedure statement and training checklist.
- FFBI's online educational resources for dialysis patients.
- FFBI's list of renal-related organizations that provide information about vascular access and kidney disease.
- Self-cannulation video or PowerPoint handout - developed by FFBI
Just don't forget to tell us about them.
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