Final answer:
To reduce VAP risk, a nurse should provide oral care every 2 hours and assess daily readiness for extubation. Monitoring oral secretions is vital, and maintaining a semi-recumbent position helps. Checklists improve compliance with infection control practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
To decrease the client's risk for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), several actions can be taken by the nurse caring for a client on mechanical ventilation. While wearing a protective gown when suctioning the client is important for the nurse's safety, it does not directly decrease the risk of VAP for the patient. Monitoring oral secretions is crucial but doing it every 2 hours alone might not be sufficient. Providing oral care every 2 hours is an effective measure to reduce the risk of VAP, as it helps to minimize the potential of pathogen accumulation in the mouth and subsequent aspiration into the lungs. It is also important to maintain the client in a semi-recumbent position, which is higher than low-Fowler's, to reduce aspiration risk. Most importantly, assessing the client daily for readiness of extubation can minimize the time a client spends on mechanical ventilation, which in turn reduces the risk of developing VAP. It should also be noted that incorporating checklists, as proposed by Dr. Pronovost for central line insertions, to ensure compliance with infection control practices can significantly decrease infection risks.