This is a 15 hour healthcare professional curriculum focused on long-term ventilation (LTV) education, specifically designed for Registered Nurses (RNs) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) who support individuals with LTV needs across community and inpatient settings. The program addresses various aspects of patient care and available resources through case-based learning.

Developed in partnership with the Provincial Long-Term Ventilation Strategy and The Michener Institute of Education at UHN, this Ministry of Health-funded course provides participants with a certificate of completion.

Funding is available to support a limited number of learners in this course, allowing eligible participants to enroll at no cost. To inquire about eligibility and availability of funded seats, please contact certificate@ontariolongtermventilation.com. Eligibility for a funded seat is limited to nurses working in Ontario.

By the end of this program, you will be able to:

• Explain how the respiratory system supports ventilation and oxygenation, differentiate Type 1 from Type 2 respiratory failure, and describe how the most common LTV conditions lead to respiratory decline.
• Differentiate invasive from non-invasive ventilation, identify the components and common settings of each, and recognize when delivery has drifted from the prescription.
• Understand tracheostomy and stoma care, tracheal suctioning, manual ventilation, and cough augmentation, and respond to ventilator alarms and emergencies using a patient-first approach.
• Conduct a head-to-toe assessment of a ventilated patient and identify early signs of deterioration that require escalation.
• Support daily living safely, including bathing, positioning, nutrition and enteral feeding, bladder and bowel management, skin and wound prevention, and communication with patients whose speech is limited.
• Apply safety and infection prevention protocols in the home, support the transition to community living, and educate patients and families so they know when to escalate.
• Apply College of Nurses of Ontario standards and interprofessional collaboration to deliver culturally safe, trauma-informed, person-centred care, including capacity and consent, supporting patients who choose to live at risk, and the nursing role in palliative and end-of-life care.
• Recognize moral distress and the emotional demands of LTV nursing and apply practical coping strategies to protect your own well-being and prevent burnout.