Knowledge is power, and words to that effect have been espoused in various forms by noted philosophers and teachers long before Sir Francis Bacon uttered his famous catchphrase Scientia potentia est! Though its meaning varies from author to author, the phrase often implies that with knowledge or education, one’s potential or abilities in life will certainly increase.
The increasing recognition of the value of accurate and reliable data to inform decision making is discussed in this edition’s editorial. I noted recently in another professional association’s journal the editor discussing Quality Activities or Research: Does it matter?1. In essence, it depends on the question you’re trying to answer. For testing cause and effect of an intervention, the randomised controlled trial is the gold standard because the methodology minimises bias. But there are many other types of questions we need to answer and different domains that we need to operate in. Alternative methodologies including quality activities add to the layers of knowledge on an issue: aetiology, frequency, diagnosis, prognosis and understanding of the phenomena. Research can come in many guises and Vascular Access welcomes quality reports of all forms.
So, it is with great pleasure that the editorial team brings another edition of Vascular Access to you with three peer-reviewed papers enhancing your knowledge and understanding of the process and value of (CVAD) registry; nurses’ reflections on IV dressing and securement, and one dedicated IV team’s experience of using extended dwell IV catheters. The authors of these papers were keen to share their experiences and new knowledge, so you too would be informed about the processes they used and the results of their inquiry. The sharing of knowledge is at the heart of the AVAS mission statement, “Develop and share best practices, and promote ongoing research within the vascular access realm”.
Happy reading!
Sam
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” — Dr Seuss
Author(s)
Samantha Keogh AVAS President Page 2
References
- Editorial. Quality Activity or Research: Does it matter? Aust Crit Care 2018; 31(2):57–58. doi: 10.1016/S1036-7314(18)30030-4.