Employee Name: Date
Hospital:
Skill: Chest Tube Dressing Change
Resources / Policy
& Procedures
You just finished your report and you're caring for four
Critical Thinking patients. Describe how you would set priorities, how you
Scenario would organize your shift, how you would gain necessary
information to care for your patients.
Skill Components: Completion Status
1. Verifies physician preference for petroleum gauze strip/antibiotic ointment
around and next to skin. If not specified, uses only vaseline gauze.
2. Gathers equipment and takes to bedside and explain procedure to patient.
3. Prepares sterile field with dressing change supplies.
4. Wearing clean gloves, removes dressing and discards.
5. With sterile glove, cleanses site with 3x4 gauze and sterile normal saline.
6. Observes markings on chest tube (centimeters chest tube is inserted).
7. Applies antibiotic ointment to site with sterile applicator, if ordered.
8. Wraps vaseline gauze strip around tube and over site.
9. Places fenestrated (split) dressing around tube.
10. Places sterile 4x3 gauze pads over insertion site (top and bottom) with tube
exiting in center.
11. Tears strips of two-inch tape, secures dressing by overlapping each piece of
tape, shingling to achieve an occlusive dressing.
12. Labels dressing with date, time, and initials.
13. Documents, including first centimeter mark exposed at insertion site and
centimeter mark that is exposed outside of dressing.
14. Assess CT drainage at increasing intervals to assure tube has not been
disrupted.
Evaluation / Validation Level of Type of
Self - Assessment Comments
Methods Competency Validation
Experienced Verbal Explanation Beginner Orientation
Practice Needed Demonstration Intermediate Annual
Not Experienced Observation Expert Other
Not Applicable Times Completed ____________
(based on scope of Successfully _______
practice) Practice Exercise
Interactive Class
_________________________________ _________________________________
Employee Signature Preceptor Signature
Last revised: 7/14/08 Rural Connection, Inc. Med/Surg Checklist