Sammanfattning
Protocol-based care has been introduced in critical care nursing. Protocols are used when patients are being weaned from mechanical ventilation. The aim of this study was to examine how a group of critical care nurses experienced using a weaning protocol based on medical evidence as well as the role of medical evidence in relation to other sources of evidence when patients are being weaned from mechanical ventilation. Interviews were performed with eight critical care nurses. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed with content analysis. Four categories emerged in the findings: 1) weaning and protocol, 2) weaning and nursing, 3) weaning and experience, and 4) weaning and cooperation. The weaning protocol seems useful as a mutual strategy. Sensitive presence is fundamental when assessing the patients’ ability to make progress in the process. Communication with the patient to increase the feeling of safety is important. Additional nursing actions not described in the protocol are learned by experience and from colleagues. A variety of evidence and knowledge is used when critical care nurses are weaning patients from the ventilator. Clinical judgement is important as a bridge between different notions of evidence and knowledge.