trach question

Specialties Geriatric

Published

I'm an LPN in Indiana and having trouble finding any info on this question in the Nurse Practice Act. Can an LPN change out the total trach tube, not just the outer cannula? The company I work for is wanting us to do this for one of our residents, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with it.

Thanks for any info!

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I am an RN and if I had a question related to my scope of practice that I could not find a clear and specific answer to on my state Board of Registered Nursing web site, I would phone my state Board of Registered Nursing and ask my question, and would also ask my state Board of Registered Nursing where I could locate any written Board of Registered Nursing regulations related to my question. I would absolutely refuse to perform any action I was not certain is within my scope of nursing practice.

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Specializes in NICU.

From the Indiana BON website

"Indiana's Nurse Practice Act was written to be intentionally broad and general so that as new skills and procedures become part of standard nursing practice, the laws maintain their relevance and applicability. Basically, each nurse licensed in Indiana is responsible for ensuring that he or she is adequately prepared, competent, and qualified to perform any particular skill or procedure that is utilized. In a sense, the nursing profession itself actually determines the scope of practice. For a particular skill or procedure, some relevant points to consider would be what other nurses and other facilities are doing with regards to that skill or procedure. Another point to consider is whether there is a well-developed system for ensuring that those performing a given skill or procedure have the adequate training and support to ensure consistent, safe and competent delivery of that skill or procedure."

Are you talking about extubating a patient, then re-intubating them?

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

according to your Nurse Practice Act it will likely depend upon your employer's policy. Do not let anyone push you into doing something you are not comfortable with-you have to be trained.

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Specializes in Med/Surge, Psych, LTC, Home Health.

I know my company requires our trach residents to have their entire trach be changed out

once a month; it's not something *I* would feel comfortable doing and I'm an RN. Our Respiratory

Therapist is going to start doing it. I'll bet you work for the same company.

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