Medical-Surgical Nursing · Chapter 7

Type I, Type II and Everything After the Tube

RN only: respiratory assessment, breath sounds, ABG interpretation, ventilator settings; initial teaching; chest tube assessment and troubleshooting; care of the unstable, newly extubated or newly admitted patient; IV push and titrated infusions.
LPN may: reinforce teaching the RN has already given; perform tracheostomy care and suction an established airway in a stable patient per facility policy and state scope; give oral, subcutaneous and many IM medications.
UAP may: take vital signs and pulse oximetry on stable patients, reposition, give oral care, ambulate, record intake and output, and coach incentive spirometry after the RN has taught it &mdash; always with clear parameters for what to report immediately. The RN evaluates and interprets the data.

There are only two ways a lung fails, and the arterial gas separates them in one glance. Classify a gas and see which oxygen device it earns, grade an ARDS patient against the Berlin criteria, decode a ventilator alarm before you silence it, and score a patient for weaning with the RSBI. Every panel shows the reasoning, not just the answer.