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What Does a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nurse Do?

As a hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurse, you would typically work in either the hospital setting (acute, wound, or perioperative care) or the home-health setting. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves putting patients in special chambers that deliver oxygen at a concentration higher than that of atmospheric pressure (which people breathe everyday while walking around).

Patients need this type of therapy if their wounds are healing, or their body organs or blood have decreased levels of oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurses are responsible for monitoring oxygen levels, assessing the patient for signs of respiratory distress at home or bedside, and working with the medical team to optimize patient outcomes.

Education & Training Required to Become a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nurse

In order to become a hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurse, you must complete an accredited registered nurse (RN) or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree program. Because this is a sub-specialty of the hospital or home-health nurse, there are no specific hyperbaric oxygen therapy nursing degree programs, nor are there online degree programs in this field of nursing. It is a skillset that you learn during one of your clinical rotations and take with you once you graduate.

Typical Characteristics of a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nurse

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurses have to think ahead and think critically. Because of the sudden changes in the patient's status that can occur in this type of nursing, hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurses must continually monitor the patient's vital signs, lab values, and anticipate any change in their physical assessment. Communicating these potential changes in patient status to the attending physician could mean life or death for the patient.

High Demand for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Nurses

This type of therapy has revolutionized wound care in many institutions across the nation, requiring more highly-skilled nurses to play a part in the patient's care. Nurses with this specific skillset are always needed in the acute, perioperative, or wound care ward of a hospital as well as in home-health settings. Understanding oxygen flow rates, mechanical ventilators, lab values, and physical changes are vital aspects in anticipating when a patient might be in imminent danger. Salaries of hyperbaric oxygen therapy nurses are similar to those of hospital staff nurses.