COPD

Tier:RPN Topic: COPD Lesson Slug: `copd-rpn` Category: Respiratory Body System: Respiratory Subcategory: Obstructive Lung Disease Jurisdictions: Canada and United States Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is one of the most common chronic conditions you will care for at the bedside, in clinics, in long-term care, and in the community. It is a progressive, largely irreversible narrowing of the airways that makes it hard for patients to move air out of the lungs. Because COPD patients live with a baseline of breathlessness and often carry a delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, the practical nurse plays a critical role. You are frequently the person at the bedside who notices the early change, reinforces the inhaler technique that keeps a patient out of hospital, and recognizes the subtle drowsiness that signals a patient is retaining carbon dioxide and needs help now. This lesson is written for RPN, LPN, and PN scope in both Canada and the United States. Your role centres on recognition, focused assessment, ongoing monitoring, safe medication administration, reinforcing patient teaching, careful documentation, and knowing exactly when...