In the course of their work, community nurses may often come across patients being treated with oxygen therapy for long-term conditions. This article examines the knowledge that community nurses need to provide effective evidence-based care, particularly referencing the British Thoracic Society (BTS) guidelines as well as how referral to specialist respiratory/oxygen teams can sometimes be the best option. The author also considers the potential benefits of providing community teams with pulse oximeters and how this would support them in assessing patients who might require oxygen therapy, identify at-risk patients and support clinical decision-making, particularly with referrals into specialist services.
