Skill Boost Purpose
This skill boost for administering emergency oxygen provides training in the use of advanced resuscitation and airway management equipment, including oxygen delivery systems, suctioning devices and basic airways. The training gives participants the skills and knowledge needed to safely and effectively:
- Administer emergency oxygen to a person experiencing a breathing emergency.
- Clear and maintain an open airway using suctioning or a basic airway device.
Skill Boost Prerequisites
Participants of the skill boost must be certified or enrolled in Lifeguarding, CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Adult CPR and AED, Pediatric CPR and AED or an equivalent Red Cross course to take this skill boost.
Skill Boost Length
The skill boost is an instructor-led training conducted by a Red Cross-certified instructor. There are no online sessions to complete. The total skill boost instruction time is 1 hour, 40 minutes, not including breaks. Additional time may be added to accommodate breaks.
The skill boost may include two optional topics for suctioning and basic airways (oropharyngeal airway (OPA) and nasopharyngeal airway (NPA). The additional time added for suctioning is 15 minutes and the additional time for basic airways is 15 minutes.
Participant Course Materials
Skill Boost: Administering Emergency Oxygen Participant Packet OR the American Red Cross Lifeguarding Manual OR the CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers Participant’s Handbook (one copy for every participant)
Course participants must have access to their own participant materials throughout the course.
Access to the participant packet, and optional skill sheets for optional topics, will be provided by the instructor of the course as needed.
Print materials (Lifeguarding or CPRO manuals) are available on the Red Cross store (redcross.org/store).
Certification Requirements
To earn certification, participants must:
- Actively participate in all class activities, including assuming various roles during skill practices and the Putting It All Together activity.
- Demonstrate competency in all required skills.
- Successfully pass the final written exam with a minimum grade of 80 percent.
Certification
Participants who successfully complete the Skill Boost: Administering Emergency Oxygen will be issued the following American Red Cross certificate: Administering Emergency Oxygen that is valid for 2 years.
To maintain the Administering Emergency Oxygen certification, participants must successfully complete the American Red Cross Skill Boost: Administering Emergency Oxygen course.
Instructor
To instruct the American Red Cross Skill Boost: Administering Emergency Oxygen, the instructor must hold a current American Red Cross Lifeguarding Instructor, CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers
Instructor, Emergency Medical Response Instructor, Basic Life Support Instructor, Advanced Life Support Instructor, or Pediatric Advanced Life Support Instructor certification and have training or experience in administering emergency oxygen.
Course Objectives
- Recognize a breathing emergency.
- Provide effective ventilations using a resuscitation mask or a bag-valve-mask (BVM) resuscitator.
- Explain how administering emergency oxygen can benefit a person with hypoxia or difficulty breathing and identify situations when it may be appropriate to administer emergency oxygen.
- Demonstrate how to assemble a variable-flow-rate oxygen system safely and effectively.
- State safety precautions related to the storage, handling and use of emergency oxygen.
- State when and how to use a pulse oximeter.
- If including the optional Suctioning topic, participants will also be able to: Demonstrate how to safely and effectively use a suctioning device.
- If including the optional Basic Airways topic, participants will also be able to:
- Demonstrate how to safely and effectively insert an oropharyngeal airway (OPA) in an adult, child or infant.
- Demonstrate how to safely and effectively insert a nasopharyngeal airway (NPA) in an adult, child or infant.
SKIIL BOOST: Administering Emergency Oxygen Content
- Recognizing and responding to breathing emergencies
- Resuscitation masks and bag-valve-mask resuscitators o Giving Ventilations Using a Resuscitation Mask o Giving Ventilations Using a Bag-Valve-Mask Resuscitator
- Emergency oxygen
- Oxygen delivery systems
- Oxygen delivery system components
- Oxygen safety precautions
- Administering emergency oxygen o Monitoring oxygen therapy
- Suctioning (optional) o Using a Suctioning Device
- Basic airways (optional) o Inserting an Oropharyngeal Airway o Inserting a Nasopharyngeal Airway
- Assessment scenario: administering emergency oxygen
