Critical Care Nurses’ Experiences with Endotracheal Suctioning in Critically Ill Older Adults Patients: A Phenomenological Study

Jun Tang,1,* Jing Lyv,2,* Ni-Hui Wu,3 Xu Chen,4 Jiao-Jiao Bai1 1Department of Nursing, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Geriatric Critical Care Unit, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Geriatric Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Respiratory Intensive Care Unit, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jiao-Jiao Bai, Department of Nursing, Huadong Hospital, Fudan University, No. 221 Yananxi Road, Jingan District, Shanghai, 200040, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13331806987, Email [email protected]: This study aimed to explore nurses’ experiences with endotracheal suctioning in critically ill older adults and to generate evidence to support the development of targeted standardized protocols.Methods: A phenomenological approach was applied to conduct in-depth interviews with 15 nurses at a tertiary hospital in Shanghai from February to March 2025. Participants met predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method.Results: Three themes were identified: the unique characteristics of endotracheal suctioning in critically ill older adults; challenges encountered during suctioning and corresponding coping strategies; and nurses’ needs and recommendations for establishing standardized protocols.Conclusion: The results of this study underscore the necessity of establishing age-specific suction parameters (such as pressure and depth) and individualized operational procedures tailored to comorbidities (such as coagulopathy), providing crucial evidence for the development of standardized protocols focused on airway fragility and complication prevention in elderly patients.Keywords: critical ill patients, endotracheal suctioning, experience, nurse, older adults, qualitative research