Trach Suctioning

If you hold the end that is going into the trach first in your sterile dominant hand, you can use your nondominant hand to attach the suction cath to suction. Hope that helps!

Originally posted by ChicagolandRN

If you hold the end that is going into the trach first in your sterile dominant hand, you can use your nondominant hand to attach the suction cath to suction. Hope that helps!

THANK U SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING! That is exactly what i was looking for!! I have been practicing the whole sterile technique thing and then realized that i totally forgot how to handle the catheter!! Thanks a million and have a GREAT evening!! You saved me from practicing in frustration!!! :D

No problem...Good luck tomorrow!

I posted this another forum but did not get any feedback....How often are you doing trach care on established(old)trach's? The evening charge and supervisor decided to get an order for benadryl to dry up a fella's secretions-but we have the guy on humidified O2 to liquify and thin those secretions-he has been in our facilty in another unit for several years and this was never a problem.His secretions have been thin and he had a good strong cough ...My stand is that it makes no sense to give him the med---except for staff's convenience.....and I feel that it will cause a problem by depressing his cough...I need some literature to prove either stand...the doc will NOT come off the fence - He just tells me to do "Whatever I feel will make the patient more comfortable but he does NOT WANT calls from the evening staff asking him to re-order the med and bothering him" The evening shift nurse had asked me about this a week or so ago and I did some research and told her later that I felt the benadryl was not needed-so she had the relief evening supervisor call the doc a day or so later to get the order (on a night when that particular nurse was assigened to another floor) I know the trach care is not being done as ordered because I end up with several trach care kits left over at the end of each week....I am suposed to be the charge nurse-how can I do my job when I have people pulling this crap behind my back? I am sure that if I was an RN this would not have happened(the evening nurse is an LPN but the relief supe is an RN) These nurses are clueless about the careplan and the DON will not back me-she tends to side with the squeeky wheel that does to her office first...We have a very small unit with low acuity and all I hear is b*tching and moaning every afternoon... suction the darn trach...It's not like we are being over worked..so do your job...I did NOT ask for this unit-the former charge nurse wanted sa change so I got put there and I just can not make anyone happy.....I used to be happy myself but my attitiude is really suffering-=any tips for a new charge nurse? I tend to be too sensitive and want to please everyone...Just like most other LPN' I don't have any formal management training.....argh..I have 15 residents and always 2 aides on day shift----God forbid I ask them to do anything extra.....or change the bath schedule or assignments..Help!!!

Due to budget contraints I am sure we will be getting no new equipment any time soon ...We only have portable O2 tanks with humidifiers attached-I was told the fella never drops his sats and the set-up was only to keep his secretions thin and moist so just checking his sats and dc'ing that is an option...The fella is in a vegetative state so that option is out...he can't follow instructions and cough..Yes-let's write that book...Thanks for your input