NURSING CARE
Some infants who require supplemental oxygen are stable and have relatively static needs. Most infants who require this therapy, however, have variable oxygen requirements. They may have been recently weaned off of ventilator support, have pathology that is undergoing active therapy (e.g., pneumonia or sepsis), or require ventilation if their situation worsens. These newborns require close monitoring and support and the involvement of a multidisciplinary team that includes the nurse, respiratory therapist, and physician or nurse practitioner. Although these newborns are not considered to be as unstable as a newborn on a mechanical ventilator, appropriate provision of supplemental oxygen and rapid response to an acute change in condition may prevent subsequent morbidity.