• Claire Lavelle and Maura Dowling.
• Intensive Care Unit, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland.
• Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2011 Oct 1;27(5):244-52.

AbstractThe aim of the study was to describe the factors that influence critical care nurses when deciding to wean patients from mechanical ventilation. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, using semi-structured interviews and a vignette. An invited sample of critical care nurses (n=24) from one Irish intensive care unit was employed. Each nurse was interviewed once and a vignette was used to structure the interview questioning. The findings were analysed using thematic content analysis. Six major themes influencing nurses' decision to wean emerged, as follows: physiological influences; clinical reassessment and decision making; the nurse's experience, confidence and education; the patient's medical history and current ventilation; the intensive care working environment; and use of protocols. The findings highlight the complex nature of weaning patients from mechanical ventilation and the major role of the nurse in this process.Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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