Nurse-led distal radial access: efficacy, learning curve, and perspectives of an increasingly popular access. Does learning by doing apply to both the doctor and the nurse?

Background: The distal radial represents an evolution of the standard radial approach. Distal radial arterial access (DRA) in the so-called "anatomical snuffbox" is technically more difficult but offers potential advantages for patients. Moreover, the use of the distal radial would preserve the proximal radial from the risk of arterial occlusion after interventional procedures performed through the radial artery.