Critical
Ventilation:
On Demand
Finally feel confident with the ventilator — before you’re alone with one again
When ICU is busy, RT isn’t immediately available, and the ventilator alarms start screaming — you’re expected to know what to do. This course gives emergency clinicians a clear, structured approach to mechanical ventilation through real demonstrations, physiology-based teaching, and practical clinical reasoning.
ACCME CME • Up to 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Why We Built This Course
We built this course because too many clinicians are put in impossible situations. We’re handed a ventilator, a crashing patient, and an expectation to know what to do — yet most of us were never properly taught how mechanical ventilation actually works in a way that translates to real decisions on shift.
It doesn’t matter whether you work in a tertiary ICU or a small rural emergency department at two in the morning. Without a clear framework, the ventilator can feel like a black box. That gap in understanding leads to hesitation, stress, and unnecessary risk at the bedside.
Critical Ventilation: On Demand gives clinicians a structured, practical way to think about ventilation. It focuses on the principles, the mechanics, and the clinical reasoning needed to manage ventilated patients safely and confidently — not just memorized settings or isolated facts.
By the end of this course, you will be able to start any patient safely on mechanical ventilation, BiPAP, and high-flow nasal cannula. Our goal is simple — to make sure you never feel unprepared when you are the one standing at the bedside.
Register Now →Course Snapshot
Format
Self-paced online modules
Duration
6 to 8 hours of content
Modules
8 chapters • 48 lessons
Access
2-year access including all course updates
Equipment
Hamilton T1/C1 ventilator • Airvo2 HFNC
Accreditation
Up to 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Investment
$269 USD • one-time payment
Built for Frontline Clinicians
This course was designed for any clinician who is responsible for a ventilated patient — regardless of your background, specialty, or how often you encounter the ventilator.
Emergency Physicians
Rural and urban ED physicians who manage intubated patients and need a reliable framework when RT isn’t immediately available.
ICU & Hospitalist MDs
Physicians managing ventilated patients who want a structured, physiology-based approach to vent management and troubleshooting.
Nurses & Allied Health
RNs, NPs, and allied health professionals working in ICU, ED, or transport settings who need to understand and respond to ventilator alarms.
Residents & Students
Residents and senior students who want to build a solid foundation in mechanical ventilation before entering independent practice.
Rural Providers
Clinicians in rural or remote settings where respiratory therapy support may be limited or unavailable — and confidence at the bedside is essential.
Anyone Returning to Vent Care
Clinicians returning from leave or transitioning to new roles who want to refresh and solidify their ventilator knowledge with a structured review.
What’s Inside
Vent Logic Clips
Dedicated “Vent Logic” segments connect ventilator function directly to core physiology — so you understand the why, not just the settings.
Real Equipment Demonstrations
Step-by-step videos filmed on actual Hamilton T1/C1 ventilators and Airvo2 HFNC — the same equipment you’ll encounter on shift.
Downloadable Reference Guides
Printable setup and troubleshooting guides you can keep at the bedside — including the free 1-page Vent, BiPAP & HFNC cheat sheet.
Critical Ventilation Manual
Full access to the SIM+ Critical Ventilation Manual (© 2025) — the standardized reference for all Dynamic Simulation ventilation teaching.
Self-Paced & Flexible
Start and stop whenever you want. 2-year access means you can revisit modules before a shift, after a difficult case, or whenever you need a refresher.
Condition-Specific Modules
Dedicated teaching on ARDS, COPD, severe metabolic acidosis, and the Big Three — the cases most likely to challenge you at the bedside.
Non-Invasive Ventilation
A full module on BiPAP and high-flow nasal cannula — including setup, indications, and how to troubleshoot when things aren't going as expected.
ACCME CME Accreditation
Eligible for up to 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ for physicians. View the complete ACCME accreditation and designation statement at the top of this page.
8 Modules. 48 Lessons.
The course is structured to build your understanding progressively — from foundational physiology through to managing the most challenging ventilated patients you'll encounter.
00Critical Ventilation: Introduction
- Introduction to Critical Ventilation: On Demand
- Foundations of emergency and transport ventilation
01Phase 1: Vent Logic — Foundations
- Ventilation foundations video
- Knowledge check
02Phase 2: The Setup
- Circuit setup activities and knowledge checks
- Circuit Setup: The Distal End video
03Phase 3: Vent Logic — Levers of O²/CO² & Assist Control
- Vent Logic video on oxygenation, ventilation, and assist control
- Knowledge check
04Phase 4: The Controls
- Initiating pressure control ventilation case and case quiz
- Pressure Regulated Volume Control video and knowledge check
- Initiating PRVC case and case quiz
05Phase 5: Vent Logic — Waveforms, Pressures, I:E Ratios
- Vent Logic video on waveforms, pressures, and I:E ratios
- Knowledge check
06Phase 6: Non-Invasive Ventilation
- BiPAP introduction, case, and case quiz
- High-flow nasal cannula introduction, case, and case quiz
- Knowledge checks for both forms of non-invasive support
07Phase 7: Ventilating the Big Three
- High airway resistance and bronchospasm video, COPD case, and case quiz
- Poor lung compliance and ARDS video, ARDS case, and case quiz
- Severe metabolic acidosis case and case quiz
Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Safely initiate mechanical ventilation for any patient you are responsible for
- Select appropriate ventilator modes (PRVC, PCV, VC) and understand the differences
- Interpret ventilator waveforms and respond to pressure and flow changes
- Manage oxygenation and ventilation using the correct physiological levers
- Troubleshoot ventilator alarms using a structured, consistent framework
- Set up and manage BiPAP and high-flow nasal cannula
- Apply condition-specific ventilation strategies for ARDS, COPD, and severe metabolic acidosis
- Recognize and respond to auto-PEEP, hypoxia, and hypercapnia at the bedside
See How We Teach Ventilation
Two short previews show how the course connects practical bedside skills with the clinical reasoning behind the ventilator settings.
Suctioning Tutorial
Confirm airway patency and safely suction a ventilated patient, including pre-oxygenation, catheter insertion, circuit stabilization, and the alarms you can expect during the maneuver.
The Crashing ARDS Patient
Follow Jamie Shields, RRT, CCAA, as he works through a crashing ventilated patient, alarms, and settings that no longer fit the lungs.
The Critical Ventilation Manual
Every participant receives access to the Dynamic Simulation SIM+ Critical Ventilation Manual (© 2025) through our secure online platform. Written by Shawn Segeren, MD, CCFP(EM) and Jamie Shields, RRT, CCAA, it serves as the standardized reference for all SIM+ Critical Ventilation teaching.
Designed as both a learning companion during the course and a real-world bedside reference — the kind of resource you’ll return to long after the course is complete.
The Dynamic Simulation Framework
5-Step Ventilator Alarm Response
A consistent, structured approach to every alarm condition
Trusted by Frontline Clinicians
I have been working in rural emergency medicine for more than three years, and one of the most challenging aspects of my practice has been managing patients who require mechanical ventilation due to respiratory failure. Ventilator terminology, parameters, and monitor values often seemed overwhelming and confusing, especially in high-pressure clinical situations. I also found that there were very few concise, practical, and easy-to-understand resources available to bridge this knowledge gap.
Your course was truly outstanding. It presented the concepts of mechanical ventilation in a clear, organized, and highly practical manner that made even complex topics much easier to understand and apply in real clinical practice. The teaching style was engaging, comprehensive, and very accessible for frontline healthcare professionals.
I strongly recommend this course to all physicians, especially those working in rural or remote settings where access to respiratory therapy support or critical care resources may be limited. Although I completed the course online, I sincerely hope to have the opportunity to retake it in person in the future.
Thank you for your dedication and for creating such an invaluable educational resource to promote this essential skill among healthcare professionals.
Rural Emergency Physician
This ventilator course has been fantastic for my learning as a rural ER doc, where I don't use the vent very often. The concepts are explained clearly and practically, with excellent real-world examples that make decision-making much easier in those infrequent but high-stakes situations.
Rural Emergency Physician
Wonderful course for rural ED physicians! Great videos and helpful demonstrations. Will certainly review this course periodically to keep knowledge up to date and recommend to colleagues.
Emergency Physician — Afton, Wyoming
Great Course! I feel so much better about being able to troubleshoot vents and BiPAP. I was always apprehensive around vents but I now feel so much more comfortable! Thank you for providing such amazing and important learning!
Tilsonburg Memorial Hospital
Very helpful introduction to NIV and the ventilator. Clearly outlines key issues in different clinical scenarios such as asthma, metabolic acidosis and COPD and how to avoid pitfalls/better support the patient using NIV and the ventilator when necessary.
Cambridge, Ontario
This course is ideal for what to do when we've managed the intubation but respiratory therapy couldn't make it in because of a snow storm. It's an excellent complement to the AIME course for how to manage once the intubation is complete. Very high yield material presented in a fun way!
Emergency Physician
Get Confident at the Bedside
At $269 USD ($350 CAD), Critical Ventilation: On Demand is a practical way to build a lasting framework for ventilator management. One payment provides two years of access, so you can revisit the content before a shift, after a difficult case, or whenever your confidence needs a reset.
If your hospital is looking to train an entire team, our live simulation sessions are available for institutional booking. Contact us to learn more.
Individual Access • U.S. Clinicians
$269 USD
one-time payment • 2-year access
- 8 modules • 48 lessons (6–8 hours)
- Step-by-step videos on real equipment
- Critical Ventilation Manual (© 2025)
- Downloadable setup & troubleshooting guides
- Free 1-page Vent, BiPAP & HFNC cheat sheet
- All future course updates included
- Start and stop whenever you want
Never Feel Unprepared at the Bedside Again
Join clinicians across the United States and beyond who have built a clear, structured approach to mechanical ventilation with Critical Ventilation: On Demand.
$269 USD • One-Time Payment • 2-Year Access • Up to 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™