chest tube drainage

Nurses General Nursing

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i have a patient with chest tube drainage and i have never cared for a patient with chest tube drainage systems before. what should i do?

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make sure you dont kick it over :D

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.
make sure you dont kick it over :D

Tape it to the floor next to the pt.

I would google the manufacturers name and see which chamber is which, etc.

Your question is very broad, as Im sure you had some education on chest tubes in nursing school. There's way too much to list on here that you should and should not do.

What are you concerned with particularly??

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Your facility should have clear policy regarding chest tubes and care. Also there should be other nurses who should be able to help you establish good care patterns for your chest tube patients.

If not you need to go to your health ed department and get some proper education which they should give without questions.

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You can google "nursing chest tube ceu's", and instantly access all of need-to-know info.

HTH

also ditto re: the manufacturer.

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Specializes in Paediatric Cardic critical care.

I think you need to be a bit more specific also; I deal with chest drains on a daily basis so lots of things I could say.... bit more info and i'd be glad to help:)

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Ummmm......

about taping it to the floor......that sounds like a great idea.

Were you joking, or being serious??

thanks

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.
Ummmm......

about taping it to the floor......that sounds like a great idea.

Were you joking, or being serious??

thanks

Very serious.

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i secure/wrap/tie it to the leg of the bed.

leslie

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
i have a patient with chest tube drainage and i have never cared for a patient with chest tube drainage systems before. what should i do?

to be honest and respecfully, if this is something you haven't looked after before and you are having to ask advice here then I would say you are exceeding your scope of practice.

If a nurse in the team I manage asked me this question my response would be that you shouldn't be caring for this patient without supervision and education. You need to be working alongside someone who is experienced in caring for chest drains and able to teach you the basic principles and management of this patient. If something happens to this patient because of the chest drain you are going to know how to deal with it otherwise you are putting your patient at risk.

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Specializes in NP / USAFR Flight Nurse.
Ummmm......

about taping it to the floor......that sounds like a great idea.

Were you joking, or being serious??

thanks

Absolutly. You can set a pt up in a cardiac chair to watch television and remind them 30 times to be careful and not to knock it over, but they will ALWAYS forget and kick it. I use nylon tape and secure it to the floor. That way you can see it clearly and it is safe from falling over.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Hopefully the attachment I'm offering will come through. It's one I use when I precept new nurses.

ChestTubes.doc

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