Nasal Cannula

A nasal cannula, abbreviated, “NC,” is used for mild shortness of breath or may be prescribed to a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

  1. Set flow rate at 2-6 lpm on the oxygen canister.
  2. Plug in the oxygen port of the nasal cannula to the oxygen canister port.
  3. Position yourself at the front of the patient.
  4. Pinch the tubing in each hand and rotate the nasal tips so that the tab is down (see “A” arrow) into the patient’s nostrils.
  5. Wrap the tubing around the ears (“B”).
  6. Slide the chin adjustment snug but not tight under the patient’s chin (“C”).
A photo of a gloved EMS clinician gentle securing the nasal cannula around the neck of a simulated patient.
Image by Holly Edwins, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
A photo of a gloved EMS clinician placing the prongs of the nasal cannula into the nose on a simulated patient.
Image by Holly Edwins, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Nasal Cannula Skill Verification Table

NC

1

Student

2

Student

3

Student

4

Student

5

Instructor

Flow Rate

(lpm)

Initials

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Oregon EMS Psychomotor Skills Lab Manual Copyright © 2023 by Chris Hamper, BS, NRP; Carmen Curtz, Paramedic, BS; Holly A. Edwins, Paramedic, B.S.; and Jamie Kennel, PhD, MAS, NRP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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