Understanding Central Line Practice Kits: A Guide for Advanced Training

This article explains how central line practice kits prepare medical and nursing students for advanced training in central venous catheter insertion, management, and care. It highlights essential kit components, the role of simulation manikins, and step-by-step training procedures to ensure safe and effective practice in a controlled environment.

What you’ll learn:

• What central lines are and when they’re used in patient care
• Standard tools included in central line practice kits (catheters, guidewires, sutures, anesthetics, etc.)
• Why simulation manikins are critical for safe, realistic training
• Key steps of central line practice: sterilization, ultrasound vein identification, needle insertion, guidewire use, tract dilation, and catheter placement
• The importance of suturing and secure catheter management during training
• How practice kits reduce risk while building student skill and confidence
• Options for pre-arranged vs. custom central line kits from suppliers like Pristine Medical

A central line is a central venous catheter inserted into the large vein of the groin, chest, or neck. It is typically much longer and thicker than a standard IV line and is used to deliver medicines, blood, and fluids, especially near the heart. Any patient requiring long-term critical care and emergency medical assistance may need a central line inserted.

All nursing and medical schools must train students in the insertion, use, and management of central venous catheters (central lines) to treat patients. The best way to get started is to provide your students with realistic tools and accessories that accurately simulate the process of treating patients with a central line. That is where a central line practice kit can be particularly helpful.

A central line practice kit includes a variety of essential medical items for practicing the insertion, securing, and maintenance of a central venous catheter tube within a patient's large vein. Some examples of what you will find in a typical central line practice kit include the following:

• Anesthetic (Lidocaine)

• Threaded Needle

• Syringe

• Central Venous Catheter

• Vessel Dilator

• Placebo Blood

• Placebo Medication

• Injection Caps

• Guidewire

• Sutures

• Sterile Gloves

Some central line practice kits vary in size and contents. If you come across a central line practice kit that lacks the necessary items for your lessons, you can always purchase them separately or create a custom kit of your own.

How to Use Central Line Practice Kits for Advanced Training

It is not easy for a beginner or intermediate-level student to insert a central line and administer treatment through it. Students are bound to make several mistakes during the training process. That is why it is essential that they feel comfortable making mistakes without worrying that they will hurt someone in the process.

For this reason, it is best to train students with a simulated manikin to give them a realistic experience of treating someone with a central line. Certain high-fidelity manikins closely resemble a real person and feature the necessary artificial veins, blood, organs, and other components to provide an authentic training experience. Therefore, if your central line practice kit does not include a manikin, please obtain one separately for your class.

Here are the general steps involved in using a central line practice kit to provide advanced training to your students:

1) Sterilize the Environment

Establishing a sterile environment is critical to prevent bloodstream infections. Students must understand how to create a sterile workflow throughout the central line insertion and treatment process to protect their patients.

Direct students to wash their hands and then put on sterile gloves. Place the manikin on a flat examination table. Cover the manikin with a sterile drape, but only leaving the insertion site exposed.

Position a dressing tray next to the examination table. Lay out all the tools and accessories from the central line practice kit, including syringes, catheters, dilators, guidewires, and sutures. Prepare all the syringes with the placebo blood or medication.

2) Ultrasound Vein Identification

Standard IV insertion is much easier because the small vein in the arm is visible with the naked eye. However, central line insertion is more difficult since the large vein is not visible with the naked eye. It requires the use of ultrasound technology to locate the central vein, such as the femoral vein or the internal jugular vein.

Have the student apply ultrasound gel on the insertion site of the manikin. The central line practice kit probably won’t come with it, so you will have to purchase it separately. Use the high-frequency linear probe to find the central vein underneath the skin. Study the ultrasound images to ensure the vein is large and accessible for the placement of the central line.

3) Insert the Needle

Apply the anesthetic in the area above the central vein. Even if students use manikins, it is important to simulate the process of applying anesthetic to numb the pain and discomfort as if they were human.

Insert the needle into the area where the central vein is located. Position the needle at a nearly 45-degree angle from the skin. Use the ultrasound images to help guide the needle and tip to ensure proper alignment. Focus on the shaft and tip of the needle throughout the entire insertion process.

Once the needle has accessed the central vein, send the guidewire through the needle until it accesses the vessel. Ensure that you send the guidewire slowly and smoothly to avoid causing trauma or injury to any of the surrounding walls and arteries. Stop moving the guidewire once resistance is felt.

At this point, remove the needle from over the guidewire while keeping the guidewire in a steady position within the vessel. Guidewire management is one of the most critical steps of the central line insertion process.

4) Insert the Dilator

Now comes the step where the student must dilate the tract to make room for the catheter to go over the guidewire. Have the student secure the guidewire firmly as they gently move and twist the dilator over the guidewire to open the tissue. Once the tissue has been dilated to the appropriate size, take out the dilator while leaving the guidewire in place.

5) Insert the Catheter

Move the catheter over the guidewire until it is far enough inside the vessel. Again, keep the guidewire secure and controlled to avoid inflicting any accidental injury or trauma. After inserting the catheter into the proper position, slowly remove the guidewire while keeping the catheter securely in place.

The catheter must remain securely in place inside the patient so that it doesn’t need to be manually held in position. Sutures can anchor the catheter to the manikin to prevent accidental dislodging. Most central line practice kits come with sutures for use in this procedure.

Get Your Central Line Practice Kit Today

Pristine Medical is one of the top medical suppliers of central line practice kits. It offers several pre-arranged central line kits, as well as the option to create a custom kit. If you need additional accessories, such as a simulated manikin, you can find them available from this supplier as well.