Mastering the weaning process in the postanesthesia care unit.

Most PACUs are accustomed to rapidly weaning patients who arrive on mechanical ventilators. However, as the acuity of patients in the PACU continues to increase, the ability to quickly wean patients to extubation is becoming less possible. The difficult-to-wean patient population is requiring the PACU nurse to become more astute in assessing and planning the weaning process. A collaborative approach can facilitate the successful weaning of a patient from the ventilator.