During my placement today I cared for a patient with a tracheostomy who required routine tracheostomy care, including suctioning, changing the inner cannula and replacing the Swedish nose.

I firstly carefully removed the swedish nose and the inner cannula. I then began to suction through the outer cannula of the tracheotomy to remove any secretions this also helps the patient to cough, which aids in clearing the airway.

Once the airway was clear, I inserted the clean inner cannula and replaced the Swedish nose. After ensuring the patient was comfortable and stable I cleaned the used inner cannula in preparation for its next use.

This was a really good experience and it enabled me to get hands on with tracheostomy care and develop my skills and knowledge. However, I was nervous as it was my first time performing this skill. My aim for next time is to approach this skill with more confidence.