Oxygen Question

I probably would have dropped the oxygen down just a touch but I wouldn't have worried too much if I hadn't, either. It's not like he was on 10 liters and was being blasted away with oxygen. Generally if he's not a chronic oxygen user they do like to titrate them down a little. Was he comfortable at the 4 liters or a little SOB? And 95% might seem more than adequate to people that are used to taking care of patients who runs in the low 90's... but 95% could be better? If it was say 99% or 100% sure I would decrease it but he was still only at 95% even with 4 liters. And you know, at night time you don't really breathe as deeply when your asleep and I bet you anything his sats probably dropped a little bit through the night. Just my input and judgement.

His resp were at 18, HR at 73 and he had a really restful night. I hated to wake him up for bed checks. Breathing even and unlabored. He still had some coughing at times, but mostly when I was turning him and I was glad he was getting some of that gunk out of there. Naw, turning down the O2 was just never anything I saw as pressing. That's why after my second 12 hour night I was bleary-eyed and surprised when the nurse made a big thing out of it to me.

If there is one thing about nursing I've grown tired of in the past three years, it's the one-upmanship that goes on. As soon as a nurse walks off the floor, the new nurse on the floor is telling all the CNA's how rotten she was and how much better she's going to handle things all day. I think it was worse when I was in a big-city hospital than it is in LTC, but it still goes on. I have a thicker skin than I did when I started, that's for sure, but this time I was worried that maybe I fell asleep in a nursing class where they told me something about oxygen titration that I should have known. I want to do the best for my patients that I can, and I'm sure glad I have Allnurses to come to for help!

As a day shift myself I think questioning a 0.5L of o2, how stupid. I would not question you on it unless they were on a 100% NRB with a sat of 98-100. Next time enlighten her on how pt's desat at night due to mouth breathing. And that 3.5-4 is nothing

As a day shift myself I think questioning a 0.5L of o2, how stupid. I would not question you on it unless they were on a 100% NRB with a sat of 98-100. Next time enlighten her on how pt's desat at night due to mouth breathing. And that 3.5-4 is nothing

I worked day shift when I did cardiopulmonary stepdown, and if someone had said they bumped them up the day before, I wouldn't even think much about them dropping it at night. I'd make a mental note to try and drop it during my shift. Come to think of it, I'm sure respiratory therapy would come by during the day and attempt that themselves. Note: respiratory therapy never came during the night in the hospital and tried to titrate down.