What kind of nurses have to suction patients?

Horseshoe, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2018

Why do you think you would "have trouble" suctioning patients?

Suctioning is one of the most helpful things you can do for a patient if they are in need of that intervention.

I believe that suctioning would be part of any nursing education. You might or might not get to do it on an actual patient during clinicals.

But every nurse doing patient care should be able to perform this important function just in case. I personally haven't had to do it in a long time, but never say never.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2018

If you do direct patient care, you will have to do it. Period.

Some areas less so than others but you never know, you could be working in L&D and a woman with a trach comes in in labor.

smf0903 · Jul 5, 2018

I suctioned someone only once in two years on a med-Surg floor. Now I'm ICU and suction all the time.

A lot of nurses that I know hate to suction...there's something about mucus I consider myself lucky in that mucus bothers me not one bit.

cleback · Jul 5, 2018

Is it because you don't like sputum? I know that's a trigger for some. Honestly, I only ever really suctioned when I worked on a resp floor, with trachs, pneumonias who also may be mentally altered. Rarely do I now that I float to other inpatient floors. You may encounter it more if you're in a respiratory floor like I was, an ICU with vents, hospice, ltachs with stable vents/trachs. But honestly, don't be too afraid of it. Like anything, you'll get used to it in time.

Crystal-Wings, LVN · Jul 5, 2018

You will do it a lot in private duty/home health if the patient has a trach or difficulty clearing secretions in the mouth/nose. It's pretty common at the bedside.

brownbook · Jul 6, 2018

Does it bother you when you go to the dentist and the hygienist suctions your mouth?

I think if you can handle that, then the next step would be to ask the hygienist if you can suction your own mouth.

Suctioning often is no more than removing excessive saliva. It isn't necessarily gross yucky mucus.

You may be over thinking this. Suctioning can save a patient's life!

LovingLife123 · Jul 6, 2018

I suction patients every 2 hours of my shift. You don't like blood or sputum but want to get into nursing?

May I ask why you want to be a nurse? This is a serious question. What are your motivations to get into nursing, and what is it you think a nurse does?

verene, MSN · Jul 6, 2018

I suctioned a few times in nursing school it's not that bad, and it really does help patients. I think the chances of having to suction working in psych are pretty darn low - I work with a (mostly) medically stable population so even if we accept some one with a trach, it has to be a healed/stable trach and they have to be able to do most of the routine care themselves.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 6, 2018

OK, your other posts indicate you are in the UK. The UK do not have LPN, EN etc just RN or HCA plus this new role.

TalleyGirl · Jul 7, 2018

I suction patients every 2 hours of my shift. You don't like blood or sputum but want to get into nursing?
May I ask why you want to be a nurse? This is a serious question. What are your motivations to get into nursing, and what is it you think a nurse does?

So in order to be a nurse you have to like blood and sputum? ..ok