Mechanical Ventilation and Weaning

Course overview

Caring for mechanically ventilated patients is one of the most commonly used technologies and challenging parts of nursing care. Promoting patient safety is paramount in caring for mechanically ventilated patients. Patients who require mechanical ventilation for more than three days are at an increased risk to develop complications, prolonged length of stay in the ICU, ventilator dependence, and death. The nurse and other healthcare professionals must understand current modes and settings of ventilation, exercise-appropriate assessment, ventilation management skills, and safe and successful weaning techniques. Mechanical ventilation is initiated in the ICU for various reasons. The primary goals of mechanical ventilation are to enhance pulmonary gas exchange, decrease work of breathing, increase lung volume, reduce respiratory muscle fatigue, reverse respiratory distress and respiratory failure, improve hypoxemia, and facilitate lung healing.