HOW TO TALK TO INTUBATED PATIENTS 🗣 

If you're scared to talk to them, imagine how scared they are.

My husband is in ICU on a ventilator and I thank God for nurses like you! Genuine empathy. THANK YOU! Everyone please pray for my sweet husband 🙏🏻

I know this video is mainly for ICU nurses, but I was a paitent in an ICU for six weeks and was in a coma and intubated for 3 of those weeks. When I was in the coma, it was a terrifying experience because I would have these "dreams" that I was tied up in a bath tub and could not move and was a prisoner of these people, usually my work bosses. And that these deformed monsters were standing outside my ICU room. Along with a myriad of other hallucinations.The point is that when you have a patients in a coma and in delirium, try to these traumatic experiences by being more comforting with compassion. I remember when I had good experiences in the coma, I could feel the warmth and compassion of the nurses toward me with their comforting care. I wasn't expected to survive. It really did make a BIG difference. And when the doctors came in, they just poked and proded me and that really irritated me and made me fight back. So please all you nurses who are taking care of critically ill patients, please be gentle and kind because that makes all the difference in the world.

Being on a ventilator is the scariest experience in my life, but I'm so thankful I was alert through most of it. My family made a clipboard with letters and numbers for me to point to, to form words and sentences. It let everyone know when my mind was working and when CO2 was affecting me.

It’s an awful feeling being intubated. I only remember waking up panicked pointing that I wanted those tubes out. Thank you for being an amazing nurse and going that extra mile.

As an RT I get to follow most patients along the continuum of care from ER to ICU to floors to home. I can't tell you how many times I have spoken to patient with long term trachs or post extubation/decannulation that talk about how many people would come in and start performing care, poking, suctioning, cleaning etc without saying anything and how terrifying and frustrating it was for them. I ALWAYS talk to my patients that are intubated or trached. I talk about what I am going to do, why I am doing it, especially if it is uncomfortable, or I'll simply talk about another topic like the weather, what is on the t.v. etc. it is so simple yet makes a huge difference in the level of care we are providing.

This ER nurse has to deal with multiple ICU holds so I talk to the intubated patient as if they were alert and oriented

You're exactly right! I always talk to my patients, conscious or not. I take care of a young man in a PVS. I always talk to him. Seems kind of rude not to. It doesn't hurt anything and you never know what they hear. I've been intubated and I knew everything. I can't stand when people are heavily sedated and staff talk about them and say rude things. You never know and it's rude to do it.

I am a respiratory therapist & I love this!! I work mainly icu and ER & it’s very important to let patients know what’s going on!! Alsoooooo basic oral and suction care is always helpful!! At my hospital it’s 1 RT for the whole icu and I run around like crazy especially with my vent patients.

I always talk to my intubated patients too. I am a float tech in the ICUs at my hospital. Whenever I'm doing a blood sugar or when we're turning them I always explain what I'm doing. I will do the same when I become a new grad RN in the ICU hopefully this summer. Awesome video!

Just watched your video... having been intubated due to Covid pneumonia... I can honestly say it is amazing that you are conversating with your patients.

Three days later,I woke up in the I c.u and I see my boyfriend and I try to talk nothing comes out. Scared and Confused, didn't know I was intubated so I started to try to pull the tube out, when I also seen all the wires on me. I know that can't be prevented in my case. However, that was scary. I was really sedated. However, this is awesome. I suffer from anxiety and sure alot of people do. What a great nurse you are ❤️

i was occasionally conscious in induced coma on ventilator and must say i wasnt scared as someone would expect but i was worried that will they think i m dead cause i couldnt move or give them any sign that i m there. i could hear bits of talks and sounds around me. creepy. in short..talk to yoour loved ones, hold their hands

This was a wonderful video!!! You know, It's important to let your patients know. "Hey Mr. Porter. Your bed is moving because you are on an air mattress that is gently turning you from side to side to help improve your oxygen levels." Or something like, "Mr. Porter? You are in a bed that we can use to help you remove junk from your lungs, and so it's vibrating right now, to perform that therapy. You are OK. Just relax." Patients often need explanation on things that are happening, all the way down to something as simple as the bed's movement. Because I've seen it. Patients will ask about the bed's vibration, or the movement they felt. These gentle movements have made patients feel as if they're on a ship that's running out of water. And I do believe that Rotation Therapy is a GREAT therapy, and should be employed on the beds that have it's function even more than they do. It's important to help patients understand these things. Waking up in ICU is SCARY!!! Now I've had it happen many times, so I'm no stranger to ICU, or being intubated, or the many procedures that happen in ICU. P personally appreciated the Chlorhexidine oral care. Because I knew how important it is. I'm now a long term trach and ventilator patient, and I know a lot about this type of stuff. I actually have the same type of supplies you all have in the ICU. The kits with the covered Yankauers, the 14 French Short Suction Catheters for oral suctioning, the swabs, the toothbrushes, and all this connects to suction. It's the exact type of kits you use in the ICU. I'm prone to VAP. I've had it, and I actually do that oral care at home Q2 hrly. And It feels so good. It's not just the twice daily teeth brushing. I do it Q 2 hrs, because It helps me SO MUCH!!! And I'm blessed that I can get this stuff!

Thank you to the nurses and doctors having proper empathy/sympathy and talking to your patients as if they are aware. ♥️

If intubated patients are attempting communication but aren’t effective it is so important to get a referral to speech-language pathology so they can implement strategies and alternative modes of communication. You make really great points about communicating to your patients regardless of their “supposed” level of consciousness and/or understanding. This should also apply to patients who are not intubated but maybe in some level of a coma.

I remember being a student nurse and having an embarrassing moment when my preceptor came in the room with me of an intubated pt who was possibly progressing towards brain death. When she started talking to the patient I remember saying “oh she can’t hear you” I have no idea why I said this, it just slipped out, of course I got scolded for saying that later that day by the preceptor. I remember her telling me how hearing is the usually the last thing to go and to never assume they can’t hear you. As a new nurse, I definitely agree that is can feel unnatural at first. I am still working on my approach, love this video!

I was an intubated patient. Speaking to me helps alot. Thank you dear. It's important to speak to them because it also give the patient the assurance that someone take time to care and show respect and you are not forgptgen

I was awake and intubated, it was terrible. The nurses and family talked to me, which helped me a lot

Ashley Adkins is the most special type of nurse a person could ever hope for.if I was a patient I would want her for my nurse for sure.she really cares!

I was intubated for three weeks. I would dream when my daughter came to visit. I would come to every so often, and realized what was happening. I was so scared. I kept thinking if I go back out I was going to die. Couple of times they tried to wake me they said I was combative. I remember the first time i knew what was going on when they called my name. I woke up freaking out with my hands tied down. They put me back out. The next time I was wakened I stayed calm. Thankfully, I was free after this time. You do dream pretty vivid dreams, and I felt my family’s sadness. I don’t remember being put on it, being bathed, flipping me, or anything else. I know it saved my life, but I still have ptsd.

My dad is intubated, sedated and on a paralytic. He is in the ICU with covid. They put the phone up to his ear so I can talk, they say he can hear me but he can't respond. They have also said they will wake him up to have him wiggle his toes and fingers. Can he actually hear me? Being on the paralytic? I can't find any science on it, and any research on what is going on in his brain with his neurons!

Thank you for making this video, I get soooooo mad when people don’t explain to them.

Keep bringing topics like this, please. 🤍🤍

Thank you for talking to them. My father-in-law is on a vent right now. They just called at 3am to tell us he had a heart attack and if they should keep going. They got him back, but it’s breaking my heart that we’re not there with him right now. I can only hope his medical team is talking to him while things are happening. I’m a nurse on gen med floor. I always like telling my patients what’s going on, but I work with nurses who don’t have that thoughtfulness. So thank you.🙏🏼

Currently having this challenge. We tried getting feedback with reciting the alphabet slowly and waiting for a tap. Limited results. We can have a head nod. But we have still diff to check comms on trying to spell a word.

His eyes have been open and we needed to treat his eyes. So we not sure how well he can see. So we going to test this tomorrow with flash cards to see if we can determine a suitable flash card size to se if we can make a book to which he can nod or tap to the right letter. Will feedback on this course.

You'd make an awesome nursing instructor!! I'm in my last year of nursing school and super scared of failing since we're turning to online classes due to the pandemic :(

What kind of questions do you ask your intubated pts when you know they are trying to tell you something? Beyond "Are you in pain/uncomfortable? Hot/cold? You want the tube out? TV on? Yes we have your hands tied so you don't pull anything out, etc". There are definitely times I have stayed in a pt room who can't write what they want for upwards of 30 minutes just trying to figure out what they are trying to communicate and I never would have reached the conclusion of them wanting me to call their family (still a relative newbie, 1 yr in), so just curious as to what other questions you would ask?

Good for you. I would imagine it’s like finding a hostage, untie them and setting them free. It can be quite terrifying.

I’m med-surg floated to icu today and we where talking about this topic.thanks for speaking

Thank You!

100% if I were intubated, I would appreciate nurses speaking to me, telling me to stay strong, to relax, a pat on the hand, etc.

I woke up after 8 days of being intubated and ventilated had breathing difficulties

If I'm put to sleep with a breathing tube, please just let me sleep. Talking isn't going to wake me up unless you actually wake me from drugs. otherwise just accept that I would be unconscious and would hear and feel nothing.

Hey Ms. Adkins, I’m a nursing student and thank you for creating awareness of this. I just got a question from UWORLD NCLEX Q bank about this and it was definitely eye-opening. I thought anyone on ventilation cannot speak. Maybe because it’s the pandemic and whenever I saw someone on a ventilator, they had chronic respiratory issues. I do have a question. Let’s say the patient is non-English speaking without family support. How can we effectively utilize a medical interpreter when discussing an advanced directive for a ventilated patient? Thank you!

Thank you for this video !

IN JESUS NAME GOD BLESS YOU MY MOTHER HAS A TRACH AND ON A VENTELATOR I WISH I COULD PHYSICALLY TALK TO YOU

My sister is in icu and is sedated my dad wants me to record a voice message to play to her while we are away so we can support her although i dont know what to say....

hi.. my husband was intubated yesterday.. before the intubation he still can talked to me.. now i can't see him and cannot talk to him.. do we make a bad decision?? is it true that being in intubation means he is in worst condition.. i keep on telling my self that he will be ok and he's coming back home..