This one has always confused me, even though it is a fundamental topic. One of my nursing instructors gave a lecture on ensuring bedside suction is always set up during your initial visit and safety inspection of patients' rooms. In this lecture I could have sworn she meant ALL PATIENTS should have working bedside suction. However suction is rarely ever correctly set up and working in most patient rooms I visit on the med-surg floor. Many of the floor nurses do not check to see if it is set up and working until they need it.
I can't find any articles or educational resources supporting that all patients should have suction set up. Obviously suction should be set up and working for patients with a trach, seizure precautions, NG tubes ect.
Please give me your feedback. Why or why not suction should be set up at bedside for all patients? If you have any links that discuss your rational please post them too. Thanks for clarifying.
I know it's sort of nursing sacrilege to say this, but I don't think every patient warrants having suction set-up and ready to go. I've had many a patient vomit and be at risk of aspirating their emesis, and not once has suction been of any use, the times I've tried the yankaur ends up immediately occluded with a piece of food. I've always found turning the patient is far more effective, having suction set up only seems to delay turning the patient.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
In this lecture I could have sworn she meant ALL PATIENTS should have working bedside suction.
In the textbook world of nursing all patients have working bedside suction.
In the real world of nursing, I work in an antiquated hospital where only a few select rooms have wall suction. These rooms are reserved for patients with pulmonary diseases or aspiration precautions. Otherwise, no section is set up for patients who have no predetermined need for it.
Specializes in ORTHO, TRAUMA, MED-SURG, L&D, POSTPARTUM.
prnqday - Wow that sounds a traumatizing experience to have as a student. So did your patient die because of needing suctioning or because of another cause?
I'm still trying to figure out how oral suction is applied in life-saving measure. Are the patient's secretions so thick or plentiful that they are choking on them or can't clear secretions d/t being unconscious? And is it done using the yankauer catheter?
An example of putting theory into use.Any patient can experience a decline in their respiratory status, requiring the IMMEDIATE need for suction.
Most certainly every patient requires access to immediate suction. It's an assistive device during the application of BLS or ACLS.
Do you want to work in a facility that does not have wall suction? Want to wait around while you watch them in respiratory distress.. while the code cart ( with the suction device) comes around?
Specializes in ORTHO, TRAUMA, MED-SURG, L&D, POSTPARTUM.
I know it's sort of nursing sacrilege to say this, but I don't think every patient warrants having suction set-up and ready to go. I've had many a patient vomit and be at risk of aspirating their emesis, and not once has suction been of any use, the times I've tried the yankaur ends up immediately occluded with a piece of food. I've always found turning the patient is far more effective, having suction set up only seems to delay turning the patient.
I mean this makes sense to me. Outside the healthcare setting with no access to suction, you will be turning someone over or performing a heimlick maneuver to assist someone who is aspirating.
Specializes in ORTHO, TRAUMA, MED-SURG, L&D, POSTPARTUM.
Ideally I want to work in a hospital with the best of everything...pulse ox, thermometer, BP cuff at each patient's bedside eliminating any delay in obtaining it. While I'm making the list of "must-haves", I'll plan on snagging my dream position at a top paying Magnet hospital. ....doesn't mean it's going to happen!
An example of putting theory into use.Any patient can experience a decline in their respiratory status, requiring the IMMEDIATE need for suction.
Most certainly every patient requires access to immediate suction. It's an assistive device during the application of BLS or ACLS.
Do you want to work in a facility that does not have wall suction? Want to wait around while you watch them in respiratory distress.. while the code cart ( with the suction device) comes around?
But not every decline in respiratory status is due to something that is "suctionable." Severe sepsis, flash pulmonary edema, acute MI, ARDS, acute asthma attack, COPD exacerbation, etc. Granted, I've only worked for a little over three years, but I've never been in a situation where I wished I had suction but didn't. Like I said before, if there is an indication for it, we bring in the portable suction machine and have it at the bedside.
Ideally I want to work in a hospital with the best of everything...pulse ox, thermometer, BP cuff at each patient's bedside eliminating any delay in obtaining it. While I'm making the list of "must-haves", I'll plan on snagging my dream position at a top paying Magnet hospital. ....doesn't mean it's going to happen!
When you find the hospital that has everything you need at all times, let us know! Good luck!
Ideally I want to work in a hospital with the best of everything...pulse ox, thermometer, BP cuff at each patient's bedside eliminating any delay in obtaining it. While I'm making the list of "must-haves", I'll plan on snagging my dream position at a top paying Magnet hospital. ....doesn't mean it's going to happen!
This is not about YOU .. an intellectual ideal or a classroom topic...it's about the patient.
Trust me on this.. one day.. your patient will need immediate access to suction.. it will make all the difference between life and death.
prnqday - Wow that sounds a traumatizing experience to have as a student. So did your patient die because of needing suctioning or because of another cause?
I'm still trying to figure out how oral suction is applied in life-saving measure. Are the patient's secretions so thick or plentiful that they are choking on them or can't clear secretions d/t being unconscious? And is it done using the yankauer catheter?
I had a patient that was on aspiration precautions all of a sudden get anxious, tachypneic, and his sats were in the 92% range, but just because he was compensating. I called a rapid response, and the only thing I could think of based on his history was that he couldn't manage his own secretions adequately, so I suctioned suctioned him. By the time people got there, they were greeted with the patient's humongous cough of a frothy white spit ball. Crisis averted. he still got a chest X-ray, but as quickly as it happened, he was back to baseline.
This is not about YOU .. an intellectual ideal or a classroom topic...it's about the patient.
Trust me on this.. one day.. your patient will need immediate access to suction.. it will make all the difference between life and death.
I hesitate to ask this because I might be reading it wrong, but why the teeth-baring all of a sudden? By Parker saying s/he wants the best of everything, isn't that just in agreement with your previous statement that you wouldn't want to work in a place that didn't have wall suction?
And why shouldn't a nurse want to work at a well-paid, reputable facility?
Am I missing something? It seems to me you both are in agreement.
MunoRN, RN
8,058 Posts
I know it's sort of nursing sacrilege to say this, but I don't think every patient warrants having suction set-up and ready to go. I've had many a patient vomit and be at risk of aspirating their emesis, and not once has suction been of any use, the times I've tried the yankaur ends up immediately occluded with a piece of food. I've always found turning the patient is far more effective, having suction set up only seems to delay turning the patient.