Overview

This continuing education program is accredited and can be taken for either CE accreditation or general learning. If taken for credit, this course provides one contact hour for nurses (California Board of Nursing), RTs (American Association of Respiratory Care), EMS professionals (CAPCE), and CRNAs (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, B Credit).

Learning Objectives

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is one of the most commonly encountered hospital-acquired infections in intensive care units and is associated with significant morbidity and high costs of care. Numerous organizations and institutions have recommended strategies to address this problem. Several Guidelines have been published, but this is still a big problem due to variability in conformance by physicians and nurses. After completing this lesson, the student will be able to:

  • Know the incidence of VAP.
  • List contributing risk factors leading to VAP. 
  • Describe major VAP prevention principles. 
  • Describe best practices to prevent VAP.