Does suctioning trach's ever get easier?

DookieMeisterRN · Feb 19, 2012

I should have gone into respiratory therapy, I love trachs! Seriously, it may sound weird but on your pts that are bad, having that airway is always nice. Plus with inline suctioning, it is so much easier to get those good nasty thick loogies out.

I had a hard time deciding between the 2. But now I get the best of both worlds!

MadpeysRN · Feb 19, 2012

I was supposed to switch pts, long story about the mix up, but I decided to stick with the trach pt, who also had a g tube because It was my 1st time having a pt with tubes. I want ed the experience. It was gross-I sure hope it gets easier! I heard C.dff and blood in emesis is worse than sputum! :uhoh3:

MadpeysRN · Feb 19, 2012

I must say what was the grossest for me was wiping it off the pts gown and the way it felt all slimey, makes me want to barf just thinking about it-and i don't barf easily! After I left my teacher stayed to do trach care with the pts actual murse who had only done it once before and when she came back to post conference she said the inner cannula shot out when the pt coughed and flew right in front of her face and got all over her chin and lips, luckily she had her mouth closed. If I had stayed I probably would have been standing right next to her in the line of fire! The pt was on contact precautions so I was gowned up the whole time and even wore a mask, and a nurse came in and asked if I was sick. I said no. she looked confused. But I saw what was coming out of the pt trach and wasn't taking any chances with the stories I've heard from teachers about that sort of thing. I am suprised my teacher wasn't more prepared!

Do-over, ASN, RN · Feb 20, 2012

That is the edited version. The previous version had colors and sound effects to boot.

I, for one, appreciate your restraint!

:yeah:

Actually, hearing (rather, reading) other's descriptions of sputum bothers me a lot more than actual sputum. The thing I don't like about trachs is suctioning - not because it is gross, but because I don't do it very often (and so feel awkward when I do) and because it looks REALLY uncomfortable for the patient...

EMSnut45, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 20, 2012

...the inner cannula shot out when the pt coughed and flew right in front of her face and got all over her chin and lips...

Exactly why I wear a mask with eye shield when doing trach care!!

One time when assisting an RT with extubation without a mask/eye shield, the patient bit down on the end of the ETT. The RT pulled hard, and got the ETT out of the patient's mouth... along with a big loogie that flew off the tip of the ETT and landed in my hair! :eek: [i think my face looked like nicenurselpn's avatar on page 2 of this thread!] Yes, that was the first and last time I neglected to wear a mask!

MadpeysRN · Feb 21, 2012

I just went and looked at the picture! LOL!

lpnflorida · Feb 23, 2012

Technically, yes it gets easier the more you do it. Have I personally ever grown to love doing it? No way. It still bothers my stomach. I call it my achilles heel even after all these years.

nicenurselpn, LPN · Feb 23, 2012

Exactly why I wear a mask with eye shield when doing trach care!!
One time when assisting an RT with extubation without a mask/eye shield, the patient bit down on the end of the ETT. The RT pulled hard, and got the ETT out of the patient's mouth... along with a big loogie that flew off the tip of the ETT and landed in my hair! [i think my face looked like nicenurselpn's avatar on page 2 of this thread!] Yes, that was the first and last time I neglected to wear a mask!

One time I was changing the trach ties on a kiddo because the trach ties were all slimey and the child coughed and a big wad of sputum flew on my arm. There wasn't nothing I could do but finish up because I was holding his trach in with my other hand. As soon as I finished up, I scrubbed my arm!! Nursing certainly isn't boring!! And yes, I am pretty sure my face looked like my avatar!!

Despareux · Feb 23, 2012

Just reading this thread triggered my gag reflex. But to answer the OPs question, the act of suctioning does get easier--I can't say the same about getting used to the characteristics of sputum.

Adele_Michal7, ASN, RN · Nov 18, 2013

Trach care never bothered me. What I never liked was nurses who would leave the suction canister full and breeze out the door.
In our house, I put a dash of minty Listerine in the canister every time it was washed. It's not quite minty fresh at the end of a shift but it doesn't smell overwhelmingly awful and if you use blue or green it helps to make the color far less gross when you are suctioning a lot of disgustingness out of the trach.

That's such a good idea!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

Flare, ASN, BSN · Nov 18, 2013

i haven't done it in a while, but suctioning a trach never bothered me- i think because it has to be there and you have to do it. The people that would decide to create a collection of tissues on their bedside table or worse yet, sputum collection cups ...gag....

FineAgain · Nov 18, 2013

I'm weird too. I like trachs. Note I did not say "love" but I find it very satisfactory to get them clean. Kind of like when you clean your rug and it is so satisfying to see all the dirty water. I know, I know.