Article in Critical Care
Nurse describes nursing assessments and interventions to help patients regain
the ability to speak after a tracheostomy
Newswise, December 1, 2015— Tracheostomies are among the most
common procedures performed in critically ill patients, and various methods are
available to help patients with tracheostomies regain the ability to speak,
according to an article in the December issue of Critical Care Nurse (CCN).
The article, “Restoring Speech to Tracheostomy Patients,” provides an
overview of nursing assessments and interventions to help patients regain the
ability to speak after a tracheostomy.
Critical care nurses work as part of an interdisciplinary team
that includes respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, advanced practice
nurses and physicians to coordinate care and develop a patient-specific
communication plan, which is essential to the goal of voice restoration.
Lead author Linda L. Morris, PhD, APN, CCNS, FCCM, is a
tracheostomy specialist/consultant and associate professor of clinical
anesthesiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago.
The co-editor/author of the 2010 edition of “Tracheostomies: The Complete
Guide,” she also serves on the board of directors for the Global Tracheostomy
Collaborative.
“Losing the ability to speak after a tracheostomy adds to the
stress, fear and frustration of being critically ill,” she said. “Restoring
speech to a patient after a tracheostomy allows them to more fully and
effectively express their needs and wishes, participate in their plan of care
and converse with their loved ones and caregivers.”
Speaking after a tracheostomy depends on having an adequate
supply of air reach the vocal cords with a minimum of resistance, and the
tracheostomy tube itself is an important factor related to phonation, or the
ability to make sound with one’s vocal cords.
Changing the type of tube, as
well as its diameter or length, can help avoid complications and lead to
greater success in phonation.
The article summarizes different approaches to restore
phonation in patients with a tracheostomy, including special considerations
related to nursing interventions.
The methods vary, depending on whether the
patient is spontaneously breathing, being treated with intermittent mechanical
ventilation or is fully ventilator dependent.
“An essential component of successfully helping a patient
regain the ability to speak is to determine which option or options are most
appropriate, and nurses need to be aware of all the options available,” Morris
said.
As the American
Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ bimonthly clinical practice journal
for high acuity, progressive and critical care nurses, CCN is
a trusted source for information related to the bedside care of critically and
acutely ill patients.
Access the article abstract and full-text PDF by visiting the CCN website
at http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/.
About Critical Care Nurse: Critical
Care Nurse (CCN), a bimonthly clinical practice journal
published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, provides
current, relevant and useful information about the bedside care of critically
and acutely ill patients. The journal also offers columns on traditional and
emerging issues across the spectrum of critical care, keeping critical care
nurses informed on topics that affect their practice in high acuity,
progressive and critical care settings. CCN enjoys a
circulation of more than 105,000 and can be accessed at
http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/.
About the American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses: Founded in 1969 and based in Aliso Viejo, California,
the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is the largest
specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN represents the interests of
more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and includes more than 225
chapters worldwide.
The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system
driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical
care nurses make their optimal contribution. www.aacn.org; www.facebook.com/aacnface; www.twitter.com/aacnme
