Introduction

Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) and Ventilator-Associated Events (VAE) represent major patient safety challenges in mechanically ventilated patients, particularly in critical care settings. These complications are associated with increased morbidity, longer ICU stays, higher antimicrobial exposure, and elevated healthcare costs. Importantly, a significant proportion of VAP risk and VAE burden can be reduced through consistent adherence to evidence-based ventilator care practices, early recognition of deterioration, and multidisciplinary coordination. The VAP & VAE Prevention Program equips healthcare teams with practical, standard-driven competencies for prevention—covering ventilator care bundles, airway management, oral care, sedation strategies, early mobilization, and quality monitoring—so that prevention becomes routine, measurable, and sustainable.

Scope

This program covers prevention principles and bedside workflows across the full ventilator care continuum, including:

• Core concepts: VAP vs VAE, clinical significance, and common risk pathways
• Ventilator care bundle implementation and unit-level standardization
• Airway and secretion management: suctioning practices, cuff pressure, and humidification considerations
• Oral care and aspiration prevention: head-of-bed elevation, subglottic secretion drainage (where applicable), feeding precautions
• Sedation, analgesia, and spontaneous awakening/breathing trials to reduce ventilator days
• Early mobilization, physiotherapy integration, and readiness-to-wean approaches
• Infection prevention fundamentals: hand hygiene, equipment handling, circuit care, and environmental safety
• Documentation, audits, compliance monitoring, and continuous quality improvement strategies
• Team-based communication in ICU workflows (nursing–respiratory therapy–physician alignment)

Objectives

By the end of the program, participants will be able to:

• Differentiate VAP and VAE concepts and identify key preventable risk factors
• Implement evidence-based ventilator care bundle practices consistently and correctly
• Apply safe airway, oral care, and aspiration prevention protocols in daily ICU care
• Reduce ventilator days through structured sedation management and weaning readiness processes
• Strengthen unit compliance using checklists, audits, and feedback mechanisms
• Support a sustainable prevention culture through staff competency validation and quality indicators

Who can enroll

This program is designed for multidisciplinary ICU and ventilator-care teams, including:

• ICU/critical care nurses and step-down unit nurses
• Intensivists, anesthetists, physicians, residents, and interns involved in ventilated patient care
• Respiratory therapists and respiratory care technologists
• Infection Prevention & Control (IPC) professionals and hospital infection control teams
• Quality managers, patient safety officers, clinical auditors, and accreditation coordinators
• Nursing educators, ICU trainers, and hospital administrators supporting infection prevention initiatives

Study content on TERRALEAP.COM

Participants receive structured learning resources through TERRALEAP.COM, including:

To support learning and practical implementation, this program includes videos and PDF-based study resources provided through TERRALEAP.COM.