Do I need a certification to access ports?

I'm a fairly new nurse, working in a doctor's office, where we do a lot of IV infusions. Some of our patients have port-a-caths. I normally prep the site and let the doctor insert the Huber needle (if it is not already accessed). I know that oncology nurses regularly perform this skill.

My question is, do I need a certification to insert the Huber needle? I don't recall learning this skill in nursing school.
I regularly accessed these in home health and in the hospital and had no certification. My preceptor taught me and then watched me do a couple and that was that.

i learned how to access mediports in nursing school, and I will access them at work if needed... with a physician's okay to access it that is.

"Certification" in specific VADs (ports/piccs/etc) is typically a requirement of the individual employer.If yours wants you to be certified they need to facilitate the training, if they don't require certification I'd ask about opportunities to learn the skill. It's a handy thing to know how to do.

I access them in the ER all the time with MD approval.

Quote from ivdudeI'm a fairly new nurse, working in a doctor's office, where we do a lot of IV infusions. Some of our patients have port-a-caths. I normally prep the site and let the doctor insert the Huber needle (if it is not already accessed). I know that oncology nurses regularly perform this skill.My question is, do I need a certification to insert the Huber needle? I don't recall learning this skill in nursing school.

in my state the RN is allowed to access by virtue of holding a professional license. The LVN/LPN is not. I would get someone (or you) to create a competency then have the MD sign it off so that you have documented proof of the skill. There are examples online of competencies for skills.

In my facility, you're not to access a port unless you've been trained by an onco nurse & have return demonstrated the skill.

It really depends on your facility's policy. Where I work, you just need an MD order...and then any nurse can access the port.

It is a learned skill,like insertion of a foley or NG tube, governed by policy and procedure of your facility. You need to establish competency by learning how to access the port which is different than certification...

In my state, any RN or LPN can access a port (with Dr. order) as long as they have been trained to do it.