Welcome to the GP Healthcare Alliance’s Pulse Oximetry and Oxygen Saturation course.

Estimated Completion Time: 1 Hour

This course is designed for any staff members who will be working in the health sector in a Primary and Secondary care clinical role in the United Kingdom and could take up to 1 hour to complete based on your current knowledge and work place experience. The aim of this training is for the learner to be able to understand Pulse Oximetry and Oxygen Saturation as required by your workplace. The recording details will be specific to SystmOne only but all other information will be generic. You will always adhere to your workplace protocols; gain an understanding of what you will need to do and why, maintaining professional practices throughout. All guidelines provided in the Lessons are correct and current at the time of writing. You will need to ensure that you follow any updated guidelines and work protocols within your practice.

It would be beneficial to have a note pad at the ready, but please do not worry if you have not, there are downloadable files for your reference! Some of the tables and examples provided have not got audio support as they will be included in the PDF at the end of each lesson, which can be increased in size within this format if needed.

Course overview:

• What is a pulse oximeter? 

You will discover what the pulse oximeter looks like, how it can take the reading, along with how the screen presents the readings, being able to recognise what level of oxygen saturation range is ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ by completing this lesson.

• Considerations and aiming to obtain an accurate pulse oximeter reading. 

By completing this lesson you will be able to establish the preparation requirements for taking a correct pulse oximeter reading and also what signs to look for, in determining the patient’s health with regard to their presentation as well as their history when reading the result.

• What could a normal oxygen saturation reading look like?

During this lesson you will learn what ‘normal range’ oxygen saturations are and will learn how to identify some potential reasons why an ‘irregular oximeter reading’ might be normal, through consideration of the patient’s previous medical history and individuality.

• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients.

You will discover what a ‘normal’ oxygen range for a COPD patient could potentially be, as well as what ‘Hypoxic drive’ is and when to provide oxygen through completion of this lesson.

• SystmOne Oxygen read code.

By completing this lesson you will be able to record the appropriate read code if you are a SystmOne user, you will learn how to ensure that the patient’s record has been updated appropriately. We have used generic screenshots so that we do not compromise any patient’s data. 

If you are not a SystmOne user then please still read and click on the screens within this lesson to be able to continue through the course, there is ONE easy question during the Assesment, that you will need to answer on the content of this lesson. Thank you.

• End of course assessment.

This is where you will be able to show off all the information that you have learnt, there is quite a lot, so making notes would benefit you for a quick recap! You will need a pass rate of 80% or more to pass and be able to obtain your certificate, which can be downloaded and printed.

Please be aware that all content within this course is copyright protected

©2024 GP Healthcare Alliance.  

Please scroll down each screen and click ‘continue’ where indicated, also be aware of the arrows or the relevant numbers on the bottom of the screen to ‘click on’ as needed.

Where possible we have provided audio support to utilise if preferred/required but please be aware that there may be examples for you to peruse also.

When you are ready to begin, click the “Start Course” button.