Opinion about O2 Education

I am an RN who also has COPD. I have worked in all areas of nursing; the past 15 years in LTC, going from supervisor to nurse manager to Director of Nursing. I recently had to resign my position as a DNS due to my illness and of course, the extreme stress of the job. In the past 8 months I have improved tremendously, and while I still wear oxygen, I am now teaching, which I love.

I would like opinions from nurses, CNAs and students (and anyone else who would like to offer an opinion) about their experiences with oxygen. Do you think you got enough training prior to working? Was there anything that you learned on the job that you wished you had been taught? Do you have special tips on how to help someone breathe easier when they are "panic breathing"? Did you understand all of the oxygen equipment when you started using it? Do you think your orientation was adequate?

I am researching and am going to write a training module to offer to LTC facilities, oxygen providers, and CNA programs to help address some of the issues that I have come across both as a nurse and an oxygen user. I have personally felt the desperation of "panic breathing" and wish that when I had been hospitalized, there were nurses who knew how to focus me to bring my breathing under control. I wish I had known myself what to do for others. I feel there is a need for more education around breathing issues and oxygen issues.

Thanks in advance for your help!!