Opinion about O2 Education

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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!!

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

my mother who had metastatic lung cancer had two nursing problems secondary to her oxygen therapy that we had to deal with: skin irritation around the ears from the plastic oxygen tubing and nose bleeding from the dry mucus membranes. at her age (86) she also had a lot of problems dealing with the long tubing when she was ambulating--it was a real safety issue, as it was the last thing on her mind when she was on the road to the bathroom. i used an old trick i learned from an ent for the nose bleeding. i took some cotton saturated with some over the counter neo-synephrine nasal spray pressed against the inner nasal cavities to stop the bleeding. stings like crazy, but constricts the blood vessels and stops the bleeding. positioning is important also. i think cnas, especially, have to not be timid about telling these patients that lying down is not helping their breathing. they need to be in elevated positions.

i have lots of links for icu on breathing and abgs, but i found these two specifically on oxygen:

http://www.ccmtutorials.com/rs/oxygen/index.htm - all about oxygen, a tutorial about oxygen with a section on pulse oximetry

http://www.thoracic.org/sections/education/patient-education/patient-education-materials/patient-information-series/oxygen-therapy.html - a 2-page patient information sheet on oxygen therapy for patients. from the american thoracic society patient information series.

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Specializes in Emergency and ICU.

Totally awesome info. Thanks.

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I think those who are afraid of Oxygen use need to be more educated on it...I have had nurses come to my house to interview for home nursing and the minute they know my child is on oxygen they get freaked out and are never heard from again............same with the trach situation......you have your airway right there......so it's not a big deal...............And patients who are a DNR...."I hope nothing happens while I am taking care of them"...well if they are a DNR than what are you worried about??? :uhoh21: lol!

You have a great post regarding Oxygen!!! Hope you enjoy teaching!!!

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Thank-you all for replying. Daytonite, those are great links and will be a good resource for me. I know that positioning is key when you can't get air in and some people just don't even think of that as an intervention. And I have tripped more times than I can count over my darned tubing! Lol and I have moved too quickly sometimes and yanked my portable tank, slamming it onto the floor from my kitchen counter. That doesn't help the shelf life of the tank at all!:uhoh21:

Fear is another issue that needs to be addressed. Knowledge is power and so much fear could be eliminated with some good sound facts. KellieNurse06, I hope you have better luck getting good home care staff! My heart goes out to you for all that you are dealing with.

Thanks for your support and I hope to hear more ideas! This is a mission from the heart for me and I am so grateful for your input!!:kiss :redbeathe

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Thank-you all for replying. Daytonite, those are great links and will be a good resource for me. I know that positioning is key when you can't get air in and some people just don't even think of that as an intervention. And I have tripped more times than I can count over my darned tubing! Lol and I have moved too quickly sometimes and yanked my portable tank, slamming it onto the floor from my kitchen counter. That doesn't help the shelf life of the tank at all!:uhoh21:

Fear is another issue that needs to be addressed. Knowledge is power and so much fear could be eliminated with some good sound facts. KellieNurse06, I hope you have better luck getting good home care staff! My heart goes out to you for all that you are dealing with.

Thanks for your support and I hope to hear more ideas! This is a mission from the heart for me and I am so grateful for your input!!:kiss :redbeathe

I wish you tons of luck in teaching! You will be an awesome one I can tell! You seem to have a passion to teach..which makes such a difference in the people who want to learn! I truly hope you enjoy it!!!!:biggringi

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