
2024 was a year of firsts for the Vascular Access Board CertifiedCM (VA-BCCM) community.
From new exhibiting and CE activities to volunteer meet-ups and record-breaking registration windows, VA-BCs were busy building a community in vascular access.
Walk through the year with us below and see how vascular access certification and those dedicated clinicians who uphold it have grown in the past year.
VA-BCs – Who We Are
Vascular Access Board CertifiedCM clinicians are all around you: they gain difficult access, ensure patients are getting the correct device, and maintain our vasculature.
They are driven; they are knowledgeable; they are specialists.
There are currently 5,515 VA-BCs across the U.S. and internationally. Here’s the breakdown:
Top positions held by VA-BCs:
- Registered Nurse
- Clinical Nurse Specialist
- Respiratory Therapist
Careers to watch:
- Pharmacists – the amount of VA-BCCM pharmacists tripled in 2024.
- Physician’s Assistants – on the rise among VA-BCs since 2021.
- Practice Nurse/Vocational Nurse – VA-BCs in this profession have more than doubled since 2021.
Job function:
- Patient care: 83%
- Management / Supervisory: 8%
- Education: 5%
- Other: 4%
Employer Reimbursement:
About 50% of VA-BCs have their certification exam paid for by employers. Thank you to the following employers for supporting certification among your staff!
Numbers at a Glance
We broke records this year — 1,134 certification exams were taken in 2024, our highest ever.
1,044 clinicians renewed their credentials and their commitment to continued education and knowledgeable care in vascular access this year. Thank you, VA-BCs!
Recertification breakdown:
- 9 in 10 VA-BCs have at least one other VA-BCCM clinician on their team.
- The most commonly cited benefits of certification, by VA-BCs, include:
- Increases personal pride
- Increases respect/confidence from colleagues and patients
- Improved patient care
- 92% of VA-BCs said they would renew their certification even if it were not mandatory for their position.
Exam breakdown:
- 884 clinicians took the test for the first time.
- 61 clinicians renewed their current certification via the exam.
- 34 clinicians returned after being certified in previous years.
Most new VA-BCs rate their experience with the exam as 5/5.
“Vascular access is a narrow specialty with a broad foundational knowledge requirement…
As most of us know, if we’re good at it, we actually save the patient pain by doing this painful task well. Getting an IV in was just the beginning of the journey.
I sought out a credential that would reflect my knowledge base. I sought to become a Vascular Access-Board CertifiedCM (VA-BCCM) nurse.
It opens a vista of opportunities to enhance your skills and to help you to become a more effective and knowledgeable patient advocate. Wearing the VA-BCCM badge increases our visibility; being able to cite the most recent literature and standards increases our credibility.”
Continue reading the letter from 2024 President Antonia Fowler, MSN, BA, RN, VA-BCCM
Our Work at VACC
Our focus took shape quickly in 2024—we aimed to provide current VA-BCs with the tools they needed to promote their knowledge and further their education in vascular access.
Some of our initiatives included:
- Sponsoring 2 free CEs in partnership with the Association for Vascular Access for the first time ever.
- and implementing a CE calendar to track upcoming opportunities to gain credits!
- Expanding how VA-BCs represent themselves — with branded patches and plaques
- Increasing our reach by adding the ANCC Magnet / Pathway Conference to our exhibiting list
- Revamped our homepage and added a blog to our website to better support and promote the value VA-BCs bring to patient care.
- Conducted a survey on the value of the VA-BCCM – stay tuned for the results!