HarvardX: Mechanical Ventilation for COVID-19

This course will help prepare licensed non-ICU hospital clinicians to support critical care respiratory therapists, physicians, and nurses in caring for a patient who is receiving mechanical ventilation. Given the increasing number of patients contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia, the medical system is, and will continue to be, in dire need of licensed medical professionals who can support the care for these patients.

Continuing Education

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The Harvard Medical School designates this activity for a maximum of 2.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This course provides general information about mechanical ventilation. It is intended for licensed medical professionals. Patient needs and clinical care settings vary, and the information provided is not intended as medical, diagnostic or treatment advice. Ventilators should be used under the supervision of a qualified licensed medical professional. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for the particular device you are using and the product information sheet for any drug administered. This subject is complex and evolving. The authors and providers of this course do not warrant that the information provided is accurate in every respect or complete, and disclaim responsibility for your use and application of the information.

As medical professionals from all over the U.S. and from every discipline come together to fight the COVID-19 virus, now is the time to share knowledge and tools. Helping prepare non-ICU hospital personnel to help in the operation of a mechanical ventilator will make us stronger, giving us all an extra pair of hands to lean on for support. Our patients depend on us.

There is no question that respiratory therapists and critical care physicians and nurses are the experts for managing the care for critically ill patients. However, during extreme times like this, the patient surge capacity may exceed the number of available trained personnel. And so, now is the time to come together.

This course is a great primer for non-ICU physicians and other clinicians who are asked to staff critical care areas. It will help these professionals better understand the basic concepts of mechanical ventilation and care for the patient receiving mechanical ventilation. We recognize the ever-expanding number of patients contracting COVID-19 and developing pneumonia as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, the medical system will need clinicians that can assist in operating mechanical ventilators. We encourage all non-ICU clinicians to consider completing this course, readying themselves to best help their colleagues and patients on the front lines of this virus.