Background:

The arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the preferred vascular access for hemodialysis. Four different cannulation techniques can be used: Rope Ladder (RL), Buttonhole (BH), Multiple Single cannulation Technique (MuST), or Area Puncture (AP).

Objective:

To build and validate a decision-making instrument for the optimal AVF cannulation technique in hemodialysis.

Methodology:

This two-stage methodological study using the Delphi method was conducted between October 2021 and February 2022 with 27 experts. The decision-making instrument for choosing the cannulation technique was divided into four blocks: physical assessment, ultrasound assessment, vascular access graphical representation, and observations. The content validity index ≥ 0.90 was used in the analysis.

Results:

The instrument’s structure obtained the unanimous agreement of the experts and an overall content validity index of 0.94.

Conclusion:

The instrument under analysis proved to have the face and content validity for nursing consultations.

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