Mechanical Ventilation - The Ventilator

New Grad Radio: Intensive Care & Emergency Nurse

Welcome back to another episode of the New Grad Radio podcast.
This episode serves as the first of many to come, highlighting the foundational concepts of Mechanical Ventilation.
As I mention, I am not an expert. But I know what it's like to have started as a grad two years ago, having never seen a ventilator, nor a patient requiring mechanical ventilation. Over the last few years, I've worked in an ICU that has one of the highest percentage of patients requiring mechanical ventilation in Australia - meaning most days I turned up to work, I was directly caring for patients on a ventilator.
I remember what it was like to first stand in front of the ventilator, feeling a little overwhelmed, and learning absolutely everything from scratch.
I remember the questions I had when I first started. It was only a few years ago. And I'll keep those at the forefront of my mind as I create the proceeding episodes.
I'll attempt to keep each episode short, compact, and to the point. If you already have a decent foundation, please feel free to skip to the episodes you're interested in. For those who have never even seen a ventilator, i'll talk through everything I can, step-by-step; commencing with this episode, being the actual machinery of the ventilator; the components; and I highlight specific brands that I have personally worked with, to highlight that ventilators can come in all different shapes and sizes, and be used in different settings.
I don't profess to be an expert on this. I'd just love to pass along some of the knowledge and skills I've developed over the last few years; teach it at a foundational level, for those nurses who may be expected to be using this equipment for the first time in the weeks to come.
I'd love if you could keep me updated on what you think. Need more detail, going too fast, need more clarification, don't hesitate to send a message through to the New Grad Radio Podcast Facebook page.