October 5th is Vascular Access Specialty Day 2025, a time to recognize, honor, and celebrate the many nurses and clinicians who work in this essential specialty. Here’s what it is, why it’s important, and a few ways you can join the celebration.
- Looking for a new career opportunity? Search vascular access jobs here
All about #VASD: What is Vascular Access Specialty Day, When is it, and Why Does it Matter?
Held every October 5th, the goal of Vascular Access Specialty Day is to spread awareness about this essential skill and the nurses and clinicians who practice it — a mission that’s emphasized in this year’s theme, “Access with Excellence: Every Patient, Every Time.”
The process of drawing blood or delivering medication, vascular access "impacts nearly every aspect of patient care,” as the Vascular Access Certification Corporation (VACC) points out.
And it's true. As a core clinical procedure, vascular access happens all day, every day in facilities of all types, from basic check-ups to managing chronic conditions to admitting new patients into an ER department or urgent care facility. And #VASD is dedicated to raising awareness of that importance — and why safe patient care depends on doing it well.
A brief history of Vascular Access Specialty Day
Created by the Association for Vascular Access (AVA) in 2019, Vascular Access Specialty Day is one of healthcare’s newest awareness campaigns — just as vascular access as a dedicated specialty is itself relatively recent.
October 5th was chosen because it’s the birthday of Suzanne LaVere Herbst, RN, MA, who founded AVA in 1985 after observing that many clinicians had gaps in their knowledge of vascular access, and that it was impacting patient care.
5 Ways to Support Vascular Access Specialty Day
So, how can you help join in the celebration and support the cause? Here are a few great ways to participate in Vascular Access Specialty Day.
#1: Learn
If you’re a healthcare professional (or thinking about becoming one), take a moment to learn what it takes to become a vascular access nurse, and what they do every day. It may inspire you to make a great career change — one with plenty of job opportunities!
If you’d like to dig a little deeper, you can explore continuing education (CE) opportunities to boost your knowledge even further. The AVA also offers plenty of webinars, plus the AVA Academy for professionals already working in VA, and a free, Zoom-based IV League Learning series that’s open to everyone else.
#2: Get Certified
You can take your VA skills even further with board-certified vascular access certification (VA-BC™) and help ensure you’re up to speed on best practices to promote patient safety and quality care. It may even open new career opportunities!
#3: Volunteer
If you already work in vascular access, VACC has many volunteering opportunities to play a more active role in the profession, including the chance to fill open positions on their Board of Directors or help improve the VA-BC™ exam.
And of course, you can also volunteer in your local community by filling in at a local free clinic or another charitable organization — the Red Cross is always a good place to start. Doing so doesn’t just give you the chance to spread awareness about vascular access, but can boost your resume, too.
#4: Spread the Word About Vascular Access
You can also spread the word by sporting VASD-themed gear from T-shirts to mugs to tote bags, available from the AVA. And of course, it's free to promote the event on social media! The VACC website has logos and posters you can use. And we'll be celebrating at the HealthTrust LinkedIn, Facebook, and X accounts, so connect with us today!
#5: Find vascular access nursing jobs with HealthTrust!
Of course, the best way to celebrate Vascular Access Specialty Day is by landing a new vascular access job! And at HealthTrust, we've got plenty available, all across the U.S.A. — each of which includes guaranteed hours, customizable pay packages, matching 401k, and lots more. You can see what's available here.
