Trach Care..How do you keep from gagging?

Nursing Students General Students

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We have started learning trach care this week and this is so gross to me. How do keep from gagging while doing this procedure? I am so afraid I will get sick if/when I have to do this in clinicals. Anyone have any tips????

I call it, "rainbows, butterflies, and unicorns'. Some people chuckled at work, but it helps me. I hum and think about a unicorn in a field with butterflies flying around and a huge, vibrant rainbow in the sky. Only takes a second to refocus and continue on. Silly.

I had to watch my grandmother get suctioned out..It didnt gross me out because I seen the shape she was in and I knew it helped her. I would try to get nurses to suction her out when she got "clogged up" but no one seemed to want to do it. I asked her nurse and she expected me to do it (I was not in nursing school, I had no training and that was my grandmother). She didnt even show me, and still expected me to do it! I would go in an see my grandmother and you could tell she hadnt been suctioned out for a while. It was so bad. I know some things gross me out but if it comes to helping a patient I will do what ever I could. I know if i was in that situation I would want the same. After seeing the way my grandmother was treated I would do anything.

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