Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a bacterial pneumonia that can develop in a patient who has been on mechanical ventilation for 48 hours or more. This complication of ventilator care can be avoided by following patient safety recommendations set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The nursing staff at Stony Brook University Hospital plays an important role in decreasing and preventing VAP in our patients. Our nurses are regularly trained so they know how VAP occurs and what strategies and intervention techniques are recommended to prevent VAP. Because compliance is critical to the success of our training at Stony Brook University Hospital, we use daily goal sheets to continuously record compliance with the VAP bundles. In doing so, we decrease the potential for medical complications and improve outcomes while ensuring patient safety.