Basic Clinical Nursing Skills (An Update)

By: Elaine Graziel Cheng R.N.

SUCTIONING NASOPHARYNGEAL

AND OROPHARYNGEAL

AREAS

Equipment:

1.Portable suction machine or wall suction unit with receptacle and tubing2.Appropriate length suction catheter3.Clean gloves4.Sterile saline or water5.Oxygen source and administration device6.Personal protective equipment

Indications for Suctioning:1. Ineffective cough.2. Client with depressed

level of consciousness.

3. Thick, tenacious mucus

4. Impaired pulmonary function.

Procedure:

1.Determine need for suctioning. Administer pain medication before suctioning to postoperative patient. 2. Explain procedure to patient. 3. Assemble equipment. 4. Perform hand hygiene.

5. Adjust bed to comfortable working position. Lower side rail closet to you. Place patient in a semi-Fowler’s position if he or she is conscious. An unconscious patient should be placed in the lateral position facing you.

6. Place towel or waterproof pad across patient’s chest

7. Turn suction to appropriate pressure.

Wall unitAdult: 100 to 120 cm HgChild: 95 to 110 cm HgInfant: 50 to 95 cm Hg

Portable unitAdult: 10 to 15 cm HgChild: 5 to 10 cm HgInfant: 2 to 5 cm Hg

8. Open sterile suction package. Set up sterile container, touching only the outside surface, and pour sterile saline into it.

9. Don sterile gloves. The dominant hand that will handle catheter must remain sterile, whereas the nondominant hand is considered clean rather than sterile.

10. With sterile gloves. The dominant hand, pick up sterile catheter and connect to suction tubing held with unsterile hand.

11. Moisten catheter by dipping it into container of sterile saline. Occlude Y-tube to check suction.

12. Estimate the distance from earlobe to nostril and place thumb and forefinger of gloved hand at that point on catheter.

13. Gently insert catheter with suction off by leaving the vent on the Y-connector open. Slip catheter gently along the floor of an unobstructed nostril toward trachea to suction the nasopharynx. Or insert catheter along side of mouth toward trachea to suction the oropharynx. Never apply suction as catheter is introduced. 14. Apply suction by occluding suctioning port with your thumb. Gently rotate catheter as it is being withdraw. Do not allow suctioning to continue for more than 10 to 15 seconds at a time

15. Flush the catheter with saline and repeat suctioning as needed and according to patient’s toleration of the procedure. 16. Allow at least a 20- to 30-second interval if additional suctioning is needed. The nares should be alternated when repeated suctioning required. Do not force the catheter through the nares. Encourage patient to cough and breathe deeply between suctioning.

17. When suctioning is completed, remove gloves inside out and dispose of gloves, catheter, and container with solution in proper receptacle. Perform hand hygiene. 18. Use auscultation to listen to chest and breath sounds to assess effectiveness of suctioning.

19. Record time of suctioning and nature and amount of secretions. Also note the character of the patient’s respirations before and after suctioning.

20. Offer oral hygiene after suctioning.

Suctioning the Tracheostomy

Procedure:

1.Explain the procedure to the patient and reassure him or her that you will interrupt the procedure if the patient indicates respiratory difficulty.

2.Administer pain medication to postoperative patient before suctioning.

3.Gather equipment and provide privacy for patient. Perform hand hygiene.

4. Assist the patient to a semi-Fowler’s or Fowler’s position if conscious. An unconscious patient should be placed in the lateral position facing you.

5. Turn suction to appropriate pressure.

6. Place clean towel, if being used, across patient’s chest. Don goggles, mask, and gown, if necessary.

7. Open sterile kit or set up equipment and prepare to suction.

8. Moisten catheter by dipping it into the container of sterile saline, unless it is one of the newer silicone catheters that does not require lubrication.

9. Remove oxygen delivery setup with unsterile gloved hand if it is still in place

10. Using sterile gloved hand, gently and quickly insert catheter into the trachea. Advance about 10 to 12.5 cm (4-5 inches) or until patient coughs. Do not occlude Y-port when inserting catheter.

11. Apply intermittent suction by occluding Y-port with thumb and index finger of sterile gloved hand as catheter is being withdraw. Do not allow suctioning to continue for more than 10 seconds. Hyperventilate three to five times between suctioning or encourage patient to cough and deep breathe between suctioning.

12. Flush catheter with saline and repeat suctioning as needed and according to patient’s tolerance of the procedure. Allow patient to rest at least 1 minute between suctioning, and replace oxygen delivery setup if necessary. Limit suctioning events to three times.

13. When procedure is completed, turn off suction and disconnect catheter from suction tubing. Remove gloves inside out and dispose of gloves, catheter, and container with solution in proper receptacle. Perform hand hygiene.

14. Adjust patient’s position. Auscultate chest to evaluate breath sounds.

15. Record time of suctioning and nature and amount of secretions. Also note character of patient’s respirations before and after suctioning.

16. Offer oral hygiene.

Suctioning with Closed Suction System

1. Explain procedure

2. Perform hand hygiene and don gloves.

3. Place client in fowler’s or semi-fowler’s position.

4. Turn on suction source.

5. Connect oxygen source to side arm of tube connector.

6. Hyperoxygenate client.

7. Open access valve and advance catheter within plastic sleeve into client’s artificial airway using dominant hand.

8. With nondominant hand, activate suction valve. Intermittently apply suction while withdrawing catheter completely.

9. Repeat as necessary. Allow time between suctioning.

10. Attach saline vial to catheter irrigation port; inject saline while applying suction to rinse catheter and tubing, then close irrigation port and suction valve.

11. Remove syringe, release suction and lock mechanism.

12. Remove gloves and perform hand hygiene.

Providing Tracheostomy

Care

Equipment:

Procedure:

1. Explain procedure to patient. 2. If tracheostomy tube has been suctioned,

remove soiled dressing from around tube and discard with gloves on removal.

3. Perform hand hygiene and open necessary supplies

Cleaning A Nondisposable Inner Cannula

4. Prepare supplies before cleaning inner cannula. – Open tracheostomy care kit and separate basins,

touching only the edges. If kit is not available, open two sterile basins.

– Fill one basin fraction ½-inch (1.25 cm) deep with hydrogen peroxide.

– Fill other basin fraction ½-inch (1.25 cm) deep with saline.

– Open sterile brush or pipe cleaners if they are not already in cleaning kit. Open additional sterile gauze pad.

5. Don disposable gloves.

6. Remove oxygen source if one is present. Rotate lock on inner cannula in a counterclockwise motion to release it.

7. Gently remove inner cannula and carefully drop it in basin with hydrogen peroxide. Remove gloves and discard.

8. Clean inner cannula.– Don sterile gloves.– Remove inner cannula from soaking solution. Moisten brush or

pipe cleaners in saline and insert into tube, using back-and-forth motion.

– Agitate cannula in saline solution. Remove and tap against inner surface of basin.

– Place on sterile gauze pad.

9. Suction outer cannula using sterile technique.10. Replace inner cannula into outer cannula. Turn lock

clockwise and make sure that inner cannula is secure. Reapply oxygen source if needed.

Replacing Disposable Inner Cannula11. Release lock. Gently remove inner cannula and

place in disposable bag. Discard gloves and don sterile ones to insert new cannula. Replace with appropriately sized new cannula. Engage lock on inner cannula.

Applying Clean Dressing and Tape12. Dip cotton-tipped applicator in saline and clean

stoma under faceplate. Use each applicator only once, moving from stoma site outward.

13. Apply hydrogen peroxide to area around stoma, faceplate, and outer cannula if secretions prove difficult to remove. Rinse area with saline.

14. Pat skin gently with dry 4 x 4 gauze.15. Slide commercially prepared tracheostomy

dressing or prefolded non-cotton-filled 4 x 4 dressing under faceplate.

16. Change tracheostomy tape.– Leave soiled tape in place until new one is applied.– Cut piece of tape that is twice the neck circumference plus

4 inches (10 cm). Trim ends on the diagonal.– Insert one end of tape through faceplate opening

alongside old tape. Pull through until both ends are even.– Slide both tapes under patient’s neck and insert one end

through remaining opening on other side of faceplate. Pull snugly and tie ends in double square knot. Check that patient can flex neck comfortably.

– Carefully remove old tape. Reapply oxygen source if necessary.

17. Remove gloves and discard. Perform hand hygiene. Assess patient’s respirations. Document assessments and completion of procedure.

Chest Tube Care AndMonitoring

Introduction

• Trauma, disease, or surgery can interrupt the closed negative-pressure system of the lungs, causing the lung to collapse. Air or fluid may leak into the pleural cavity. A chest tube is inserted and a closed chest drainage system is attached to promote drainage of air and fluid. Chest tubes are used after chest surgery and chest trauma and for pnuemothorax or hemothorax to promote lung re-expansion

Terms and definitions

a. Pneumothorax – collection of air in the pleura space

b. Hemothorax – an accumulation of blood and fluid in the pleural cavity between the parietal and visceral pleurae, usually as the result of trauma

c. Chest tubes – a catheter inserted through the thorax to remove air and fluids from the pleural space and to reestablish normal intrapleural and intrapulmonic pressures

Care of patients with chest tubes

a. Assess patient for respiratory distress and chest pain, breath sounds over affected lung area, and stable vital signs

b. Observe for increase respiratory distressc. Observe the following:

(1) Chest tube dressing, ensure tubing is patent

(2) Tubing kinks, dependent loops or clots(3) Chest drainage system, which should be

upright and below level of tube insertion

d. Provide two shodded hemostats for each chest tube, attached to top of patient’s bed with adhesive tape. Chest tubes are only clamped under specific circumstances:

(1) To assess air leak(2) To quickly empty or change collection bottle or chamber; performed by soldier medic who has received training in procedure(3) To change disposable systems; have new system ready to be connected before clamping tube so that transfer can be rapid and drainage system reestablished(4) To change a broken water-seal bottle in the event that no sterile solution container is available(5) To assess if patient is ready to have chest tube removed (which is done by physician’s order); the solider medic must monitor patient for recreation of pneumothorax

e. Position the patient to permit optimal drainage(1) Semi-Flower’s position to evacuate air (pneumothorax)(2) High Flower’s position to drain fluid (hemothorax)

f. Maintain tube connection between chest and drainage tubes intact and taped(1) Water-seal vent must be without occlusion (2) Suction-control chamber vent must be without occlusion when suction is used

g. Coil excess tubing on mattress next to patient. Secure with rubber band and safety pin or system’s clamp

h. Adjust tubing to hang in straight line from top of mattress to drainage chamber. If chest tube is draining fluid, indicate time (e.g., 0900) that drainage was begun on drainage bottle’s adhesive tape or on write-on surface of disposable commercial system(1) Strip or milk chest tube only per MD/PA orders only (2) Follow local policy for this procedure

Problem solving with chest tubesa. Problem: Air leak(1) Problem: Continuous bubbling is seen in water-seal

bottle/chamber, indicating that leak is between patient and water seal(a) Locate leak(b) Tighten loose connection between patient and water seal(c) Loose connections cause air to enter system.(d) Leaks are corrected when constant bubbling stops

(2) Problem: Bubbling continues, indicating that air leak has not been corrected (a) Cross-clamp chest tube close to patient’s chest, if bubbling stops, air leak is inside the patient’s thorax or at chest tube insertion site(b) Unclamp tube and notify physician immediately!(c) Reinforce chest dressing

Warning: Leaving chest tube clamped caused a tension pneumothorax and mediastinal shift

(3) Problem: Bubbling continues, indicating that leak is not

in the patient’s chest or at the insertion site(a) Gradually move clamps down drainage tubing away from patient and toward suction-control chamber, moving one clamp at a time(b) When bubbling stops, leak is in section of tubing or connection distal to the clamp(c) Replace tubing or secure connection and release clamp

(4) Problem: Bubbling continues, indicating that leak is not in tubing(a) Leak is in drainage system (b) Change drainage system

b. Problem: Tension pneumothorax is present

(1) Problems: Severe respiratory distress or chest pain(a) Determine that chest tubes are not clamped, kinked, or occluded. Locate leak(b) Obstructed chest tubes trap air in intrapleural space when air leak originates within patient

(2) Problem: Absence of breath sounds on affected side (a) Notify physician immediately

(3) Problems: Hyperresonance on affected side, mediastinal shift to unaffected side, tracheal shift to unaffected side, hypotenstion or tachycardia(a) Immediately prepare for another chest tube insertion (b) Obtain a flutter (Heimlich) valve or large-guage needle for short-term emergency release or air in intrapleural space(c) Have emergency equipment (oxygen and code cart) near patient

(4) Problem: Dependent loops of drainage tubing have trapped fluid(a) Drain tubing contents into drainage bottle(b) Coil excess tubing on mattress and secure in place

(5) Problem: Water seal is disconnected(a) Connect water seal(b) Tape connection

(6) Problem: Water-seal bottle is broken(a) Insert distal end of water-seal tube into sterile solution so that tip is 2 cm below surface(b) Set up new water-seal bottle(c) If no sterile solution is available, double clamp chest tube while preparing new bottle

(7) Problem: Water-seal tube is no longer submerged in sterile fluid(a) Add sterile solution to water-seal bottle until distal tip is 2 cm under surface (b) Or set water-seal bottle upright so that tip is submerged