Weaning from a mechanical ventilator covers the entire process of liberating the patient from mechanical support and from the endotracheal tube. The appropriate time for weaning should be determined according to the physical and emotional condition of the patient together with the presence of medical staff. Each phase of weaning requires advanced nursing knowledge and skill. Nursing observations and continuous monitoring of the patient's progress may prevent the delay of weaning and help notice problems that might be encountered during the process in the early phases. The quality of nursing care is one of the important factors that determines the success of weaning. The follow-up procedures and applications of the weaning process should be determined beforehand. Institutional protocols for the weaning process are the other factors affecting the success rate of weaning. In this article the weaning phases and methods, decision making, weaning parameters, and nursing care are reviewed.

Keywords : Blood pressure; mechanical ventilation; nursing care; weaning