Practical Competency – Non-Invasive Ventilation in the Acute Setting

The NCEPOD report (2017) examined hospital mortality rates associated with NIV in the acute setting, and found that there was wide variation in both the organisation of acute NIV services and the clinical care provided. NIV treatment was often delayed due to the recognition of which patients would benefit from NIV or appreciating the ultimate goal of the treatment provided. More recently, the BTS audit (2019) of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) demonstrated that only 50% of patients receive NIV within 60 minutes of a blood gas defining its need. The aim of this programme is to ensure that everyone involved in the delivery of acute NIV are competent to deliver safe, effective treatment for patients in ventilatory failure. This is part two of a two part programme - if you haven't completed the theory component, please do so before proceeding with this programme.