NURSING PRACTICES IN THE PREVENTION OF VENTILATOR-ASSOCIATED PNEUMONIA

Abstract

This article aimed to discuss effective nursing practices in the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia through an integrative literature review. The data collection took place between August and September 2025 in the databases Periódico Capes, Virtual Health Library Nursing, and Scielo, using the health science descriptors “Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia,” “Nursing Care,” and “Patient Care Bundles” combined with the Boolean operator “and,” supported by the guiding question “which nursing interventions are effective in preventing ventilator-associated pneumonia?”. Free articles from 2020 to 2025 were included, in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, complete and addressing the theme, while those that exceeded the established period and deviated from the proposal were excluded. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the actions: hand hygiene, oral hygiene with 0.12% chlorhexidine, care with mechanical ventilation, daily assessment for sedation and mechanical ventilation weaning, endotracheal suctioning, and positioning of the head of the bed between 30° and 45°. It was concluded that nursing represents the main pillar in combating ventilator-associated pneumonia, as it is responsible for implementing measures backed by scientific evidence, recognized as effective in preventing this infection.