Long-term care of the tracheostomy patient from an outpatient nursing perspective.

This paper outlines outpatient nursing care of the patient with a long-term tracheostomy. It identifies key nursing interventions and provides nursing clinical indicators to chart the patient's progress post-hospitalization. Additionally, it provides a review of tracheal anatomy and physiology as well as clinical indications for a tracheostomy and the resultant pathophysiology stemming from the surgery.