"Pulse Oximetry"

[Guest Imagine]

Hello - I am an RN but not a NICU nurse.

Would someone be so kind as to clarify who has the primary responsibilty for monitoring the O2 sats?

Would it mainly be the NICU nurse or Respiratory Therapist?

Any links would be greatly appreciated!

TIA

[Stefan Johansson]

I have only experience from Sweden, where there are no RTs.

Here, the team nurse is technically responsible for the O2 sats, but the assisting nurse is recording the sats (and pulse etc) in the nursing charts here.

[Dilly]

Any units I've worked in here in the UK, it's been the nursing staff.

[Guest Zibolen]

In our country - Slovakia- nursing staff. We have no RTs

[perkinst]

Hello, I am a neonatal nurse in England and the primary responsibility would be the nurse caring for the patient. However, all who come into contact with the patient has a responsibility to give optimal and high quality care. Hence, if the nurse is not present at the time the respiratory nurse observes desaturations, it is the responsibility of the respiratory nurse to inform the appropriate personnel. During care on our unit, obviously nurses have to have a break. Therefore, another nurse remains in the room and it is the responsibility of that nurse to observe the patient for the nurse who has gone on their break. Hope this information helps. Do you follow guidelines in the US. We have the NMC code of conduct.

[Guest JoannieO]

Hi, here in New Zealand it is the responsibility of the bedside nurse. We do not have respiratory therapists here, so the nurses take appropriate action if an infant desaturates. If the nurse leaves the room for her break, there is always another nurse who will relieve her and take over her babies until she returns.