Full course content as delivered in classroom.  We taught ALL NHS Direct of 4 skill sets in 6 weeks thanks to blended learning.  They were used to online training and now we all have to get used to a more virtual world.

We have since been building training content that works and won   The VeinTrain Simulator Unit allows us to share with you these courses anywhere in the world!   We accept individual booking in the same way we would a classroom based courses. We send you out a flatpack vein,  you will join the training online then join us on the date of the course on some live webinars with our trainers and colleagues.  You can share your webcam so we can supervise you remotely and you can see our vein  and you watch our technique training.

Key areas Covered 

Professional Practice and Legal Considerations
Anatomy and Physiology
Site Selection
Equipment design and most effective use
Potential Complications (including Infection Control)
Practical Application - Techniques and Troubleshooting 

How we deliver the whole course virtually

• Access to Video library of techniques and correct methods
• Seminars delivering content online
• Live webinars
• Live supervision workshops with our bank of trainers

How to put your vein together!

Take a look inside....see our video

Attending a VeinTrain course will not only ensure you are up to date with the latest techniques, complications, research and legislation. Sarah Phillips, the founder and MD set up the Vein Train to offer high quality training from high calibre trainers. We can offer group training from 4-300.  See below at St Thomas and in our Video with King's College Medical Students. All our trainers have been selected because of their extensive knowledge and experience because we know this enables them to offer you a high level of expertise.  We manage our days so that you get lots of exposure to practice from the beginning with your own VeinTrain Vein.  Take a look at the supervision you will gain virtually with your flatpack.... OSA - Objective Structured Feedback using Video of your technique at Nottingham HQ and some National courses.   

Venepuncture and/or Cannulation - What we cover on the course and methods we use.

Our Venepuncture and Cannulation Course is 8 CPD hours that provides comprehensive theory while adopting a practical approach to facilitate skill application.  You will practice throughout the day on VeinTrain Simulator Unit as well as vein palpitation with your trainer and each other. Using the VeinTrain Simulator Unit and a "Vein Train Vein" © you will learn the foundations for using the equipment to access veins confidentially and expertly.   You are given a Vascular Access Structured Learning Programme for Venepuncture and Cannulation to take back with you so you can gain and demonstrate competency with confidence and ease.  This document is as near to standardisation as the UK has and was led by Sarah Phillips as part of a 15 year project. There are currently over 70000 in use!  You can also buy into our Flatpack Virtual Access system using your very own VeinTrain Simulator Unit.

How will I learn?

Your "Vein Trainers" will draw on their extensive experience, knowledge and expertise to help each leaner find their own particular technique. You will remember your "Vein Trainer's" words for weeks, months and years to come when you are accessing veins on patients, mastering the equipment and troubleshooting difficult situations. "Vein Trainers" have been specially selected because they want each one of their learners to go on to achieve competency quickly (within a few bloods or weeks, whichever is most realistic) but more importantly they want them to go beyond this and achieve expert practice.

You will even have your own VeinTrain Vein to keep practicing all day!!! 

Painless Learning 

"If you get a first good injection then it will never be worse than that" (Dougherty 1994)

  (see below when we published our book in 2011)

A nurse who Sarah Phillips trained years ago as part of a training project in a NHS Trust, now works for the Department of Health spoke of her experience of Sarah's leadership in these skills "Sarah wouldn't let anyone near a patient with a cannula until they knew what they were doing." This is still true today so you can be assured that you will have excellent knowledge and skill before you approach a patient. Sarah Phillips also believes Lisa's (Dougherty, 1994) quote extends to learners who want to cause as little discomfort to their patients as possible. All Vein Train attendees can be assured that they will know as much as possible before approaching their patient’s as well as having good supervision until they are competent. We at Vein Train know that it is confidence in your acquired knowledge and skill that helps you achieve competency safely and painlessly for both you and the patient, as quickly as is realistically possible. All we want to do is put you in a position to offer the best you can for your patients. That takes training, education and lots of practise with a competency booklet to take away.

Who is the Course For and who has chosen VeinTrain

• 1
• 2

"Such a good idea" Nick Ross

 The course is suitable for clinicians returning to these skills, the novice starting out or a practitioner updating their knowledge because they have had no formal training or are responsible for training others.  We accept applications from all individuals from many different professional and non-registered professional backgrounds as we have a vast experience of training multi-professionals.

You do not have to be a registered professional and may be or intend to be a health care support worker.  You may be undertaking a health science qualification or have worked in a different area of health care (i.e. GP Receptionist).  We know that if you come from either of these backgrounds (academic or clinical) you will have a certain level of knowledge and understanding of some of the foundations to patient care related to your patient group. (i.e. safety, communication, risk management, anatomy and physiology and so on.)  NEW! We now offer a two day phlebotomy only course aimed at learners seeking to move into this profession.

Examples of Delegates Background:  (this is not extensive) 

Occupational Health Nurses, Army Medics, Overseas Doctors, GP Receptionists, Paramedics, Midwives, Nurses, Health Care Support Workers, Radiographers, Operating Department Practitioners, Clinical Skills Trainers, Dental nurses, Dentists, GP, 

Certificate of attendance, competence and accreditation

There are no national guidelines on this, however our experience informs us that if you practice and use your skills regularly you will only need to update your practice on a formal training session about every 2-3 years (depending on how much you use your skills).  This session should include some theory and practical review.  It is recommended that you use your structured learning programme to record learning and literature review that you have undertaken.   This does not have to be complex or time consuming but a note on some articles you have read and how they relate to your practice.  We would recommend that this should be no less than 1 year before a review and reflection of your practice.   If you have not practised your skill within a year of the course we would recommend a short update course before using your skills clinically.
We don’t want to waste your valuable time or money and we know that sometimes fear will stop people practising these skills after attending a course.  In this case more training will not provide a magic answer, however if you have not attended a Vein Train Course and feel unsure of your training can definitely help.  All our courses offer a quality and practical approach with access to professionals with extensive experience of training and practice.

Competency Achievement

The key to competency is supervised practise until you are ready to go it alone!  At VeinTrain you are give the solution of the nationally adopted  Structured Learning Programme (standardised competency assessment). This document has been the accumulation of years of working with expert practitioners including Sarah Phillips, VeinTrain MD as lead author.  It is endorsed by NIVAS and takes the learner through a solid and robust competency pathway from novice to expert.  You can be sure to be competent following the VeinTrain method.  We would never offer same day competency as it is not good for you or the patient.  You can take your Competency Booklet to your supervisor to gain and then demostrate your development of competency.  

Accreditation and Theory

Sarah Philips, MD has co-edited and co-written book about these skills (Venepuncture and Cannulation – Phillips et al 2011, Wiley-Blackwells) which has now been published in Indonesia!  Addionally Sarah continues her drive to make things better by working nationally on improving standards for peripheral vascular access.  A train the trainer course ran on  October 12th 2015 to be Co-Chaired by NIVAS.  If you want to be sure of your skills join the Vein Train, Sarah is driven to make sure that these skills can be performed as well as is phsically possible. She keeps saying it is not that difficult to sort out and keeps on making things better!!!  See our VIDEO HERE on how we Welcome you to VeinTrain  - we love what we do!  Our enthusiasm in contagious but you can also be sure that your knowledge and level of training is accredited to a solid standard.