One of the sessions we flagged as essential ahead of WoCoVA 2026 was the VAD selection session — Choosing the VAD — and it didn't disappoint. The evidence presented covered how to select the right device for the right patient at the right time: adults versus children, external catheters versus ports, and how those decisions should be driven by clinical need, not habit or availability.

The Gap Between Knowing and Doing

Device selection guidelines exist. Most clinical teams have access to them. What they often don't have is the training that connects those guidelines to daily practice — the clinical reasoning skills to translate a guideline into a decision in front of a patient with difficult veins, time pressure, and a family in the room.

This is a pattern that runs through most of what was presented at WoCoVA 2026. The evidence base is strong. The devices are available. The guidelines are there. The gap is almost always at the training and implementation stage — the moment where abstract protocol becomes real-world practice.

What Good VAD Training Looks Like

For venepuncture and cannulation specifically, that means understanding the full clinical picture before a needle is picked up. Patient factors — vein quality, skin condition, anxiety level, medical history. Device factors — gauge, material, length, intended duration of use. Procedural factors — technique, site selection, securement. These aren't separate questions. They're one integrated decision, and training needs to build that integration.

At VeinTrain this is why we structure learning as a pathway rather than a checklist. Technical skill sits alongside clinical reasoning, patient management, and evidence-based decision making. Because the right device, selected correctly, inserted skilfully, managed consistently — that's how you reduce failed attempts, reduce complications, and build the competency that lasts.

More from WoCoVA 2026 to follow.

VeinTrain delivers venepuncture and cannulation training for NHS trusts, independent clinicians and healthcare organisations across the UK. Explore the VeinTrain learning pathway.