Precision in Practice - Co-Designing Safer IV care

The CONNECT Project is a global, patient-centered initiative addressing one of the most common — and often painful — experiences in healthcare: peripherally inserted intravenous cannulation (PIVC). Nearly 80% of hospitalized patients require a PIVC, yet low first-attempt success rates mean many people endure repeated needle sticks, causing unnecessary pain, stress, and loss of trust.

CONNECT brings together patients, healthcare professionals, and innovators to improve PIVC success, strengthen clinical training, and develop practical tools that reduce harm. By focusing on compassion, equity, and real-world solutions, CONNECT aims to make PIVC care safer, more effective, and more humane for people of all ages.

For millions of patients, a simple PIVC becomes a cycle of pain, fear, and frustration. Are you ready to break the cycle and create more compassionate PIVC care?

📅 Save the Date

• Date: April 16, 2026

• Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:45 p.m. (MST)

• In-Person: Hunter Student Commons, Fourth Floor Collision Space (HNSC 401), University of Calgary main campus at 460 Campus Lane NW, Calgary AB, T2N 1N4

• Registration: Sponsored by the University of Calgary, free of cost to attendees

• In-person tickets include parking, light breakfast and lunch for in-person attendees

Unable to travel to Calgary for the event? This event is also offered virtually via Zoom.

The Experience

You will move From Dialogue to Design in two dynamic phases:

Morning — DIALOGUE Session
The day begins with a World Café–style dialogue guided by shared meta questions. Participants will join small-group conversations exploring key challenges in PIVC from patient, clinician, and system perspectives. Each table will be supported by a table host, who will capture themes, insights, and lived experiences in real time—ensuring ideas and voices are meaningfully recorded and carried forward.

Afternoon — DESIGN Session
In the afternoon, we shift into reflection and collective sense-making. Participants will reflect and share insights from the morning, identify priority areas, and offer structured feedback using an “I like, I wish, I wonder” framework. Through dot voting, the group will collectively highlight the most promising ideas and areas for action, helping focus future design, research, and innovation efforts.

By the end of the day, shared dialogue will be transformed into clear priorities and actionable directions—moving us closer to breaking the cycle of repeated PIVC pain.

Highlights

• Keynote: Discover how social innovation enables patient-centered care

• Expert panel discussion: Perspectives from research, practice, and lived experience

• World Café Dialogue and Design Thinking workshop: Co-create actionable ideas for improving PIV care

• Networking: Connect with local and international experts passionate about PIVC access and care

Who Should Attend

• Healthcare professionals seeking better practices

• Researchers and educators interested in patient safety and skill acquisition

• Patient and families sharing lived experience

• Students and innovators eager to shape the future of care

Meet Our Meet Our Facilitators, Keynote Speaker, and Panelists

World Café Dialogue Facilitator

Shannon Parker, RN MN

Associate Professor (Teaching), University of Calgary, Faculty of Nursing

Shannon Parker is an innovative educator and research leader applying sport science and human factors to advance nursing education and clinical performance. Her research through the InSight Lab focuses on integrating perceptual-cognitive strategies, such as Quiet Eye training, to improve first-attempt success rates in peripheral intravenous cannulation.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Karen Benzies, RN PhD

Professor, University of Calgary, Faculty of Nursing & Director of Social Innovation Initiative

A serial academic social innovator, Dr. Benzies is the force behind the award-winning Alberta Family Integrated Care (FICare) model. She specializes in scaling health system transformations that work for families.

The Panel of Experts

• Linda Niksic (Moderator): A powerhouse patient advocate ensuring the "human" remains at the center of the session.

• Dr. Joe Causer: A global expert in "Quiet Eye" training from Liverpool John Moores University—learn how elite performance techniques can reduce clinical errors.

• Deb Baranec: Patient Engagement Research Ambassador, bringing the vital perspective of lived experience.

• Dr. Maria Santana: A leader in health equity and patient-centered research at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine.

Design thinking workshop Facilitator

Sue Crawford, RN MN BN BSc

Manager, UCalgary Nursing’s Health Systems Transformation Initiative, The HIVE
Sue is an engaged, creative, and entrepreneurial thinker with a unique blend of experience as a nurse and social innovator. Sue has led numerous initiatives to improve patient care and system design.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

UCalgary Main Campus, Hunter Student Commons building (HNSC), 4th Floor Collision Space, 460 Campus Lane Northwest, Calgary, Canada

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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