Suctioning equipment

Do you mean actually opening and attaching tubing? I wouldn't do that unless I had a patient heading to that room that may need it. I think you're well prepared enough just to have everything stocked in every room, ready and close by if you need it. We do have the canisters set up in every room, all the time, though.

Hey PIURN

I proudly qualify as an 'old ICU Nurse'. When I'm assigned to an empty room I ALWAYS make sure that I can do a couple of things instantly without leaving the room. The most important is suction. I like to have two suction outlets with 'suckbuckets' and two packs of tubing and a Yankaur ('tonsil suction'). I don't open them until I know that the Pt is coming. You can read between the lines here. If YOU have the experience of transferring your next Pt from the PACU or ER stretcher to the bed and they choose that wonderful moment to introduce themselves to you by vomiting, well....needless to say, it'll never happen to me again!!

A couple of other things I can do without leaving the room: Monitor vitals. cardiac rhythm and pulse ox. Control IV meds. Begin charting (I have a blank 'flow sheet' on a clipboard in the room). Ambu the Pt with Oxygen.

I can control 90% of the events likely to happen without dashing to the med or supply room, without yelling for help, without confusion. It's sort of like--if your report from ER/PACU says the Pt is combative--have restraints in the room before the Pt arrives.

I bet if your Pt has runs of V-Fib, you'll park the CodeCart outside the door, right? Same thought process.

'Always Be Prepared' Boy Scout Rule

Papaw John

Some of the old ICU nurses that I work with are in the habit of setting up suctioning equipment in the rooms, even though we may not use the equipment for months! Is this okay--my gut feeling tells me that this stuff should not be opened unless it's going to be used relatively soon.

If it is a suction setup for oral/airway secretion, it won't hurt anything. The mouth is considered "dirty" and if the tracheobronchial tree needs suctioning you will use a soft suction device which would still be in the pack and you would open it and replace the hard tip. As long as the suction is "clean" and it is for oral/airway purposes its fine.

Mike