Pediatric vent LPNs, I need advice

[NurseSherie]

Good morning,

I have some questions and I'm hoping that y'all can help me! I'm a low acuity lpn, I'm in a special needs school with a 7 year old with a siezure disorder. This morning I received a call from my agency. I have the opportunity to work with a vent patient and switch to that PT on a M-F basis. I have never worked with a vent PT, although I have taken the class to do so. My question is do LPNs make more doing vent care? And also, any vent LPNs, how would you describe your day? I think I'd be really nervous, and am wondering if it's worth the leap. Thank y'all so much! ?

[caliotter3]

You need to find out from other nurses from this agency and/or the agency itself if they pay more for vent cases. Not all agencies pay more. Don’t accept a vent case from them if they say no, unless you want to get experience in order to get a job with an agency that does pay more for vent cases.

[Floor_Nurse]

I have similar experience with both seizure kids and "trach & vent" (T&V) kids. The T&V children require a lot more of your time and energy as a nurse. Especially the toddlers and babies because their little lungs are not fully developed. I was once taking care of a certain 1-year-old with a trach, when she decided to fall asleep...just as the complicated tubing for the vent machine was being taken apart for cleaning / replacement. The baby's alveoli began to close and the O2 readings went down and down so I had to immediately put everything back together and get the lungs inflated again! As you know, the alveoli are little air-sacks where gas exchange occurs.

Not all trach kids have acute medical needs. Some no longer need it, but it's still there hanging out of their neck anyway. Don't let your agency put pressure on you to accept an assignment... if they don't have enough nursing coverage, then that's their problem! As a home health nurse, you have to find the assignment that fits.