Skill 32

Incentive Spirometry

Incentive spirometry helps a patient deep breathe. An incentive spirometer (IS) is most often used following abdominal or thoracic surgery to reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary atelectasis. The use of IS is especially important in patients with underlying pulmonary diseases because of their risk for postoperative pneumonia.

Delegation Considerations

The skill of assisting a patient to use incentive spirometry can be delegated to nursing assistive personnel (NAP). The nurse is responsible for assessing, monitoring, and evaluating the patient’s response. The nurse directs the NAP by:

▪ Informing about the patient’s target goal for incentive spirometry.

▪ Informing to immediately notify the nurse about any unexpected outcomes such as chest pain, excessive sputum production, and fever.

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