Akron Children’s Vascular Access Nurse Denaye Beckler received the 2025 Impact Award from the Association for Vascular Access.
Akron Children’s Vascular Access Nurse Denaye Beckler, MSN, APRN, CPNP-AC, CEN, VA-BC, received the 2025 Impact Award from the Association for Vascular Access (AVA). This prestigious, international award honors AVA members who have made significant contributions to the specialty practice of vascular access at a local level.
“I feel so honored to receive this award,” said Denaye. “When I first joined the vascular access team and learned about this organization, I remember being in awe of how specialized, knowledgeable and experienced the clinicians running the AVA were. Now, as I’ve gotten more involved as a board member of our local chapter, the Northeast Ohio Association of Vascular Access (NEO-AVA), I’m deeply humbled to be acknowledged among so many dedicated professionals.”
Specializing in vascular access
Denaye joined Akron Children’s in 2017. As a vascular access nurse, she specializes in inserting and managing vascular access devices that enter the patient’s circulatory system, including peripheral IV catheters, midlines and peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) while utilizing ultrasound guidance. In her role, she coordinates with sedation services and interventional radiology to arrange inpatient and outpatient procedures, provides education to nurses and residents throughout the organization and collaborates with her team to orient new vascular access nurses.
Denaye (left) was recognized, along with two other recipients, at the 2025 AVA Annual Scientific Meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, in September.
Denaye was recognized, along with two other recipients, at the 2025 AVA Annual Scientific Meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, in September. She received multiple nominations for this award, including one from her former medical director, Janice McDaniel, MD, current director of interventional radiology at Akron Children’s.
“Denaye is an extremely competent and compassionate individual who has a special way with all of our patients,” wrote Dr. McDaniel in a letter of recommendation. “Her knowledge of the field of pediatrics and vascular access makes her an invaluable member of our team. I genuinely admire Denaye’s nursing skills and abilities and believe she is one of the most dedicated members of our vascular access team. She has taken on leadership roles as the chair of our PIVIE (peripheral IV infiltration and extravasation) committee and has been a team lead on various new projects that help enhance and improve patient care for our organization. Her work and accomplishments while on this team are extremely remarkable.”
Leading successful product trials
Among her many accomplishments, Denaye has supported multiple product trials, including the trial of a cyanoacrylate glue that spanned the course of 2 years and included multiple phases on various types of vascular access devices.
“I led the team to effectively collect data to ensure the utmost accuracy throughout this multiphase trial,” she said. “I strongly believed in the benefits that this product could provide to our patients, and ultimately, it gained approval for use!”
Continuing her education
Denaye recently graduated with her master’s degree from The University of Akron and is now a certified pediatric nurse practitioner. As she continues her nursing role at Children’s, she said it’s her team and her patients who bring joy and fulfillment to her work.
“The vascular access team at Akron Children’s is outstanding, and I really value the people I work alongside every day. But mostly, I enjoy taking care of the kids,” she said. “In vascular access, we’re able to be a vital steppingstone to help patients get the treatment that they need. It’s not uncommon to see patients we’ve treated as infants come back when they are a bit older, and it’s deeply rewarding to know that our work has helped them receive the care they need. Working with the parents is special, too. Our team has established rapport with a lot of parents over the years, and it’s gratifying to know that they trust our team to make a stressful procedure as comfortable as possible and to care for their child as if they were our own.”
