title: Factors influencing the patient during weaning from mechanical ventilation: a national survey.
abstract: Successful weaning depends on the application of skilled judgement and decision making to nursing and medical interventions. The intensive care nurse is in an unique position for adopting a holistic approach to weaning. Such an approach needs teamwork and consideration of all the factors that could influence the outcome of the weaning phase. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey, to establish the factors taken into consideration and documented during weaning at the intensive care units (ICUs) in Sweden. A questionnaire was developed and sent to all 92 ICUs. The results identified that nutrition, communication, analgesics and sedatives, psychological and metabolic factors, as well as weaning methods and measurable parameters were taken into consideration. Written instructions for weaning were used by only three ICUs and weaning protocols were not common. A holistic approach to the discontinuation of mechanical ventilation is a valuable means of improving the quality of care and merits further research.
authors.affiliation: School of Social & Health Sciences, Halmstad University, Halmstad, Sweden. irene.martensson@lthalland.se
authors.forename: Irene E
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Mårtensson
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fridlund
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003625:Data Collection; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D018939:Holistic Nursing / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D018579:Patient Selection; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000451:nursing*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D015300:Ventilator Weaning / Q000379:methods* / Q000451:nursing* / Q000592:standards