Patient demographics and surgical causes are outlined in Table 1. g. To effectively care for a patient with tracheostomy, staff nurses will require a combination of complex skills such as appropriate respiratory assessment, an in-depth understanding of humidification, knowing when and how to suction, stoma care and management of tube blockage or displacement. Then, thoroughly rinse, dry, package it and sterilise it in the autoclave (metal tubes) or cold sterilisation (silicone tubes), leaving it ready for the next time the patient’s tube needs replacing (Dixon, 1988). Goals of care for a patient with a tracheostomy : 1. extent on the patient’s location at the time, reflecting the underlying condition of the patient and the nursing and medical infrastructure available. Hyperextend the child’s n eck.