The AccuVein vein finder works on all skin tones and body types, and can be especially helpful when inserting IVs for patients with darker skin.

With donor support, Humber River Hospital has purchased the AccuVein AV 500 Vein Finder, a visualization technology that illuminates the veins beneath the patient’s skin, improving the ability for nurses to access their patient’s veins on the first attempt.

When it comes to inserting IV’s or taking blood samples for patients in our Cancer Care Program, our nurses and technicians are extra careful to prevent damage to their already weakened vascular systems.

“We love having the vein finder in the Clinic,” says Navpreet Heer, a Registered Nurse in Humber’s Cancer Care Clinic. “Some of our patients have harder-to-access veins, and the vein finder improves our ability to insert IVs on the first attempt. We are less likely to need to escalate to a second nurse or other staff members. As you can imagine, that goes a long way in creating a comfortable environment for our patients and helping us build trust.”

The AccuVein AV 500 works on all skin tones and body types, and our teams are now equipped with the device both in the Cancer Care Clinic and on 13 West, our inpatient unit for cancer patients.

“Technologies like AccuVein go a long way in creating a comfortable environment for our patients and helping us build trust,” says Navpreet.

“The vein finder is especially helpful when we are inserting IVs for patients with darker skin, large arms, or those who have gone through chemotherapy which impacts your veins,” says Navpreet. “Some of our patients who have fear around needles even ask for it. It is one of the many things we can do to help put our patients at ease.”