Management of mechanical ventilators in intensive care unit patients from a nursing perspective
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53713/nhsj.v5i3.538Keywords:
mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit, nursing knowledgeAbstract
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) requires continuous monitoring and advanced technologies, such as mechanical ventilation, to support critically ill patients. Proper management of this resource is essential for the quality of care provided. This study aims to evaluate managing patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit. This cross-sectional, quantitative prevalence study involves nursing professionals working in adult intensive care units at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Federal University of Pernambuco, in Recife, Brazil. Data collection was carried out through three questionnaires: the first consisted of sociodemographic data of the participants, while the second and third were developed based on the sector’s Standard Operating Protocol for mechanical ventilation and COFEN Resolution No. 639/2020, respectively. ICU nurses demonstrated a prevalence of good knowledge about mechanical ventilation of 28% (95% CI: 10.4-45.6), with a higher prevalence of women (84.0%) compared to men (16.0%). The prevalence of good knowledge regarding Resolution 639/2020 was 52% (95% CI: 33.5-70), while 48% of the nurses showed poor knowledge. Regarding skin color, 69.2% of Black and Brown nurses demonstrated good ethical knowledge, while 30.8% had regular or poor knowledge. The results of this study indicate that nurses' proficiency in managing mechanical ventilators and patients remains inadequate.
References
Abrahim, H. L., Liuson, O., Kelley, C., & Holman, E. A. (2025). Racism and the well-being of nurses of color: A scoping review. Nursing Outlook, 73(2), 102351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2025.102351
Anchrum, H. (2025). Through the eyes of Black nurses: The impact of the Nurse Training Act of 1964. Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 26(1), 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/15271544241296825
Atiyah, H. H., Abdul-Wahhab, M. M., & Al-Fayyadh, S. (2015). Nurses’ knowledge toward essential care for adult patients undergoing mechanical ventilation at critical care units in Baghdad City. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 6(4), 136–140. https://doi.org/10.9790/1959-0505067276
Battaglini, D., Iavarone, I. G., Robba, C., Ball, L., Silva, P. L., & Rocco, P. R. M. (2023). Mechanical ventilation in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome: current status and future perspectives. Expert Review of Medical Devices, 20(11), 905–917. https://doi.org/10.1080/17434440.2023.2255521
Branson, R. D. (2018). Automation of mechanical ventilation. Critical Care Clinics, 34(3), 383–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccc.2018.03.012
Brazil. (2012). Law No. 12.711, of August 29, 2012: Provides for admission to federal universities and federal technical secondary education institutions. Official Gazette of the Union. https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2011-2014/2012/lei/l12711.htm
Brazil. (2014). Law No. 12.990, of June 9, 2014: Reserves 20% of vacancies in public service exams for Black candidates. Official Gazette of the Union. https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2011-2014/2014/lei/l12990.htm
Burša, F., Oczka, D., Jor, O., Sklienka, P., Frelich, M., Stigler, J., Vodička, V., Ekrtová, T., Penhaker, M., & Máca, J. (2023). The Impact of Mechanical Energy Assessment on Mechanical Ventilation: A Comprehensive Review and Practical Application. Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, 29, e941287-1. https://doi.org/10.12659/MSM.941287
Cavalcante, C., Kelly, J., Santos, K. de, & Augusto. (2022). Nurses’ knowledge about the management of mechanical ventilation. Brazilian Journal of Development, 8(6), 46517–46525. https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv8n6-255
COFEN. (2020). Resolution Cofen No. 639/2020. Federal Nursing Council. https://www.cofen.gov.br/resolucao-cofen-no-639-2020/
Colombage, T. D., & Goonewardena, C. S. (2020). Knowledge and practices of nurses caring for patients with endotracheal tube admitted to intensive care units in National Hospital of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Journal of Anaesthesiology, 28(2), 94. https://doi.org/10.4038/slja.v28i2.8541
Fiatun, F. D., None I Komang Widarma Atmaja, & Ni, N. (2024). Implementation of the ventilator-associated pneumonia bundle in the intensive care unit. Nursing and Health Sciences Journal (NHSJ), 4(3), 269–273. https://doi.org/10.53713/nhsj.v4i3.379
Gandra d’Almeida, A. J., Guedes, R., & Moreno, R. (2022). Mechanical Ventilation in the Trauma Patient. In Personalized Mechanical Ventilation: Improving Quality of Care (pp. 97-113). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14138-6_8
Gomes, A. P., Costa Souza, V., & Araujo, M. de O. (2020). The role of nurses in humanized care in intensive care units in Brazil: An integrative literature review. HU Revista, 46, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.34019/1982-8047.2020.v46.28791
Gürçay, B., & Polat, Ü. (2024). Intensive care unit nurses’ knowledge and attitudes towards older adults with COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey. Australian Critical Care, 37(1), 91–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aucc.2023.10.006
Hassen, K. A., Nemera, M. A., Aniley, A. W., Olani, A. B., & Bedane, S. G. (2023). Knowledge regarding mechanical ventilation and practice of ventilatory care among nurses working in intensive care units in selected governmental hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Critical Care Research and Practice, 2023, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/4977612
Heo, Y.-J., Jeong, J. S., Choi, H. R., & Kim, Y. H. (2023). A comparison of nurses’ and patients’ recognition of high-touch surfaces in a hospital room. Nursing and Health Sciences Journal (NHSJ), 3(2), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.53713/nhsj.v3i2.242
Iheduru-Anderson, K. C. (2020). The White/Black hierarchy institutionalizes White supremacy in nursing and nursing leadership in the United States. Journal of Professional Nursing, 37(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.05.005
Lombardi, M. R., & Campos, V. P. (2018). Nursing in Brazil and the intersections of gender, race/color, and social class in the formation of the professional field. Revista da ABET, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.22478/ufpb.1676-4439.2018v17n1.41162
Paudel, R., Trinkle, C. A., Waters, C. M., Robinson, L. E., Cassity, E., Sturgill, J. L., Broaddus, R., & Morris, P. E. (2021). Mechanical Power: A New Concept in Mechanical Ventilation. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 362(6), 537-545. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjms.2021.09.004
Pelosi, P., Ball, L., Barbas, C. S., Bellomo, R., Burns, K. E., Einav, S., ... & Rocco, P. R. (2021). Personalized mechanical ventilation in acute respiratory distress syndrome. Critical care, 25(1), 250. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13054-021-03686-3
Plotnikow, G. A., Matesa, A., Nadur, J. M., Alonso, M., Nuñez, I. I., Vergara, G., Alfageme, M. J., Vitale, A., Gil, M., Kinzler, V., Melia, M., Pugliese, F., Donnianni, M., Pochettino, J., Brozzi, I., & Scapellato, J. L. (2020). Characteristics and outcomes of patients infected with nCoV19 requiring invasive mechanical ventilation in Argentina. Revista Brasileira de Terapia Intensiva, 32(3). https://doi.org/10.5935/0103-507x.20200062
Roshdy, A. (2023). Respiratory Monitoring During Mechanical Ventilation: The Present and the Future. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1177/08850666231153371
Rubulotta, F., Blanch Torra, L., Naidoo, K. D., Aboumarie, H. S., Mathivha, L. R., Asiri, A. Y., Sarlabous Uranga, L., & Soussi, S. (2024). Mechanical Ventilation, Past, Present, and Future. Anesthesia and analgesia, 138(2), 308–325. https://doi.org/10.1213/ANE.0000000000006701
Schetaki, S., Patelarou, E., Giakoumidakis, K., Kleisiaris, C., & Patelarou, A. (2023). Evidence-based practice competency of registered nurses in the Greek National Health Service. Nursing Reports, 13(3), 1225–1235. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13030105
