Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
Hyperbaric Nursing /

What are the dangers of hyperbaric nursing?



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,072 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.

Aug 29, 2006 10:42 AM

What are the dangers of hyperbaric nursing?


Hi all,

I'm considering an RN position in hyperbaric medicine, and I'm trying to research all of the risks associated with it. Is the nurse always in the chamber with the patient? Are there limits on how many treatments we do in a day? Has anyone suffered oxygen toxicity as a result? Or other side effects? Someone in a previous post mentioned fires -- how common are they?

Also, this seems to be very physically and mentally demanding... Are hyperbaric RNs well compensated? I hate to ask for specifics, but would really love to know.

Thanks!


Share

Search Tags
None
Top

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Reply
2 Comments
No. 1
from gradcare
Old Apr 06, 2007, 03:50 AM

Default Re: What are the dangers of hyperbaric nursing?
Just starting myself, froom the course material the risks are identical to those of the patient, action is taken to minimise risks such as going on 02 at certain times to reduce risk of decompression illness but staying off the O2 during most of the dive to prevent O2 toxicity, can worsen myopia ( I think). A heap of other stuff that is looked at durring the physical.
Top
 
No. 2
from Balder_LPN
Old Feb 09, 2009, 04:34 PM

Default Re: What are the dangers of hyperbaric nursing?
hmmm, I'm a new nurse and not yet certified in this area (though I will be doing it after I complete my RN in 2010) I did, however, start teaching SCUBA in 1989 and have had a few familarization trips in chambers.

My own concern, and I need to research it more, would be about chronic effects of pressure on the body. You are in the chamber day after day, the patient is only recieving a one time course of treatment (I dont mean just one trip in the chamber, but the pt is done in a matter of hours, days, weeks max) you may be doing it for years.

Professional divers (not speaking to recreational scuba, but commercial divers that do deep dives day after day, or urchin harvesters who do loooong dives at shallow depths on consecutive days) do have higher incedence of a few things; bone necrosis, retinal and kidney damage. Most likely related to Asymptomatic Decompression Sickness. This is small nitrogen bubbles (and associated clots that form around them), but you don't have symptoms of DCS. With chronic exposure the bubbles/clots are believed to damage some of the areas in the body with the largest amount of capilarries/small vessels. In doppler U/S tests of divers up to 30% may show bubbles in the blood with no symptoms (asymptomatic DCS) after dives that are within commonly accepted no decompression limits.
Top
 
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
337 members
2,882 guests
3,219

5

California Imposes Stricter Rules Regarding Drug Abuse In...

12

Are older nurses being forced out of the profession?

2

An outlook in California?

8

Australian surgeons successfully separate conjoined twins

41

Disruptive behavior by doctors, nurses persists a year...

31

Woman sues after police tackle her in ER during premature...

5

Beyond The Last Lecture -For Randy & Jai Pausch nurses...

18

WHO: Give at-risk groups anti-flu drugs early

21

Nursing, medical schools should work together, experts say

6

Army nurse honored after 100th birthday






Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address: