New Homecare job VENT for LPN

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I just got a call from an agency I am working for here in NJ. I am an LPN with 13 years experience with medical/surgical in the hospital. Having said this, I have NO experience really with vent patients. Whenever we had a problem...poof call respiratory. Well now I have ventured out into the homecare avenue and I am being asked to be placed on a vent ped. patient. I am very bright and pick up things well, but I think I am being asked something I am not comfortable with yet. I have asked to have a precept go with me, and the agency only to happily gave me next week. I just don't want to go in sounding like an idiot. Is there any sources, books, online sites where I can "refresh" all that I have learned and "unlearned over lack of usage" of vent patients?:eek:

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Specializes in pedi, pedi psych,dd, school ,home health.

Place a call o your staff development person on staff at the agency. He/She should be able to connect you wit h the homecare co that supplies the vent for your patient. If not, the Case Mgr should. Ask to have a partient -specific orientation with the RT. there are many different vents in homecare and each child needs different settings etc on the vent. good luck and enjoy the new expereince! Mary

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Specializes in Peds stepdown ICU.
I just got a call from an agency I am working for here in NJ. I am an LPN with 13 years experience with medical/surgical in the hospital. Having said this, I have NO experience really with vent patients. Whenever we had a problem...poof call respiratory. Well now I have ventured out into the homecare avenue and I am being asked to be placed on a vent ped. patient. I am very bright and pick up things well, but I think I am being asked something I am not comfortable with yet. I have asked to have a precept go with me, and the agency only to happily gave me next week. I just don't want to go in sounding like an idiot. Is there any sources, books, online sites where I can "refresh" all that I have learned and "unlearned over lack of usage" of vent patients?:eek:

I do not think it is appropriate to send a nurse to a vent case without proper training. I did home vents for peds for several years. When I first started I was required to take the vent training courses offered by the agency. We had a class and earned ceu's. We also had a few shifts with another nurse. Our vent training ceu certificates were kept in our file....if they did not have your vent training class on file then you could not go to a vent case. You must really be familiar with the vents and how to troubleshoot and change a circuit. Often times in homecare you are alone...if you don't know what you are doing, it could be a nightmare.

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