A lot of nursing schools are changing to a concept-based curriculum where instead of teaching disorders in isolation, they teach concepts that have broader application. For example, instead of just teaching about asthma, these programs teach oxygenation as a concept and use asthma as an example for beginning students (and then more complex disorders such as ARDS for the advanced students). By learning about oxygenation as a concept, the consensus is that you’ll apply this knowledge more easily in clinical (and on exams) because you’ll have a better understanding of how it interrelates with the patient’s overall condition. 



In this podcast episode Nurse Mo talks you through the basics of oxygenation and some related concepts. You will learn:




The difference between oxygenation and ventilation
The difference between hypoxia and hypoxemia
The difference between diffusion and perfusion
Why hypoxia and hypoxemia do not always co-exist (though they often do!)
How optimal oxygenation looks in a healthy patient vs how it looks in a patient with a respiratory disorder
How the body compensates for chronic low oxygen levels
The importance of airway patency
Nursing interventions for patients having oxygenation challenges




And to drive the concept of oxygenation home, we’ll talk through three case studies using our fictitious patients, Bob, Sally and James. They are each in distress for very different reasons, but they’re all related to oxygenation. Enjoy!



Looking for episode notes? They’re right here: (https://straightanursingstudent.com/oxygenation-concepts/). 



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