Prone Positioning: An Evidence-Based Practice for ARDS Patients

Critical care nurses have long practiced prone positioning in patients with severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) to improve patient outcomes. Patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) are at risk for ARDS, and in the early days of the pandemic, these patients were quickly put on ventilators as their respiratory status deteriorated. As the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients increased, prone positioning moved outside of the intensive care unit and has become a go-to strategy in the nursing protocol of care to avoid intubation in these patients.

This webinar provides an evidence-based primer on adult prone positioning—when it should be used, why it improves the ARDS patient’s respiratory condition, and best practices in patient management, including prevention of pressure injuries during patient proning.

Watch this webinar to learn more about:

• The physiologic rationale and the evidence for use of the prone position in patients with ARDS
• Evidence-based strategies for determining when to turn, how to turn, and how long to allow patients to remain in the prone position
• Strategies for preventing a frequent complication: Pressure injuries