Back

Respiratory Management for Nurses

Many changes have occurred within the Long-Term Care setting. Nurses are now providing care to higher acuity residents, with many of the residents requiring thorough and accurate respiratory assessment as well as the provision of respiratory treatments. Being familiar with all aspects of respiratory therapy has become essential to nurses in the skilled nursing, long term care and post-acute care settings. Respiratory services may include coughing, deep breathing, nebulizers, inhalers and medication administration.

Competency will be established by documentation that the nurse successfully completed education with exam scores of 80% or higher and possess the skills to provide respiratory treatments by demonstrating the skill with an employer preceptor utilizing the skills competency checklists provided in the last chapter of this course.

Questions? Check out our FAQs page and How Online IV Certification Works!

Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

Discuss changes that occur in the elderly due to normal physiologic dysfunction.
Identify nursing assessment signs and symptoms associated with cellular hypoventilation.
Analyze the effect of preventative treatment strategies on the patient with chronic respiratory disorders.
Discuss the effects of medication treatment regimens.
Identify the steps required to successfully administer respiratory medications.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Changes in the Elderly

Respiratory System
Immunologic System
Neurologic System
Cellular Oxygenation

Chapter 2: Assessment

Respiratory Signs & Symptoms
Pneumonia
COPD

Chapter 3: Treatment Regimens

Preventative Measures
- Vaccines
- Oral Hygiene Practices
- Coughing & Deep Breathing
Active Treatment Measures
- Oxygen Therapies
- Airway Management
Medications
- Bronchodilators
  - Long-Acting
  - Short-Acting
- Corticosteroids
- Miscellaneous

Chapter 4: Delivery Routes

Inhalers
- MDIs
  - Spacers
- Flexhalers
- Twisthalers
- Dry Powder Inhalers
- Aerolizers
- Nebulizers
- Nasal Sprays

Chapter 5: Resources

Skill Check-off Lists
- Medication Administration Via an Aerolizer
- Medication Administration Via a Dry Powder Inhaler
- Medication Administration Via a Flexhaler
- Medication Administration Via Metered Dose Inhaler
- Medication Administration Via a Nebulizer
- Medication Administration Using a Spacer
- Medication Administration Via a Twisthaler

Price: $15.00

Contact Hours: 1.5

Course Author

Carol Knauff

Carol Knauff, MSN, RN, CCRN is a Registered since 1978. Carol is currently the Patient Care Manager for St. Luke’s Endoscopy Center- Buxmont in Sellersville PA. Areas of expertise include: critical care, gastroenterology, diabetes care and gerontology nursing. She is active in bedside nursing, administrative and education roles. She has been active faculty for multiple universities and private nursing education companies.

Read Full Bio

Course Accreditation

See our Accreditation Statements page to view our accreditation information.