A catheter placement system for inserting a catheter into a vasculature of a patient, comprising: a catheter assembly including: a catheter; a stylet removably received within a lumen of the catheter; an ECG sensor component for detecting ECG signals of a node of a heart of the patient when at least a portion of the catheter assembly is disposed within the vasculature of the patient; an ECG signal receiving component that receives ECG signals detected by the ECG sensor component, the ECG signal receiving component being operably connectable to the ECG sensor component; and a connection integrity component that verifies an integrity of an operable connection between the ECG signal receiving component and the ECG sensor component; wherein the ECG sensor component of the catheter assembly includes an electrode on the stylet, the stylet including a system (1032, 1034, 1036) for ensuring a distal end of the stylet is substantially aligned with a distal end of the catheter, wherein the stylet is provided with two conductive portions between which a nonconductive stylet portion is interposed; and a conduction band is so embedded within the catheter that it can be brought into electrical communication with the two conductive portions of the stylet, the more distal stylet conductive portion is conductively connected to the more proximal stylet conductive portion via the catheter-embedded conduction band, when the stylet distal end is properly aligned with the distal end of the catheter. a catheter assembly including: a catheter; a stylet removably received within a lumen of the catheter; an ECG sensor component for detecting ECG signals of a node of a heart of the patient when at least a portion of the catheter assembly is disposed within the vasculature of the patient; an ECG signal receiving component that receives ECG signals detected by the ECG sensor component, the ECG signal receiving component being operably connectable to the ECG sensor component; and a connection integrity component that verifies an integrity of an operable connection between the ECG signal receiving component and the ECG sensor component; wherein the ECG sensor component of the catheter assembly includes an electrode on the stylet, the stylet including a system (1032, 1034, 1036) for ensuring a distal end of the stylet is substantially aligned with a distal end of the catheter, wherein the stylet is provided with two conductive portions between which a nonconductive stylet portion is interposed; and a conduction band is so embedded within the catheter that it can be brought into electrical communication with the two conductive portions of the stylet, the more distal stylet conductive portion is conductively connected to the more proximal stylet conductive portion via the catheter-embedded conduction band, when the stylet distal end is properly aligned with the distal end of the catheter. a catheter; a stylet removably received within a lumen of the catheter; an ECG sensor component for detecting ECG signals of a node of a heart of the patient when at least a portion of the catheter assembly is disposed within the vasculature of the patient; an ECG signal receiving component that receives ECG signals detected by the ECG sensor component, the ECG signal receiving component being operably connectable to the ECG sensor component; and a connection integrity component that verifies an integrity of an operable connection between the ECG signal receiving component and the ECG sensor component; wherein the ECG sensor component of the catheter assembly includes an electrode on the stylet, the stylet including a system (1032, 1034, 1036) for ensuring a distal end of the stylet is substantially aligned with a distal end of the catheter, wherein the stylet is provided with two conductive portions between which a nonconductive stylet portion is interposed; and a conduction band is so embedded within the catheter that it can be brought into electrical communication with the two conductive portions of the stylet, the more distal stylet conductive portion is conductively connected to the more proximal stylet conductive portion via the catheter-embedded conduction band, when the stylet distal end is properly aligned with the distal end of the catheter.