Nurse-led extubation in the post-anaesthesia care unit.

Weaning of mechanical ventilation occurs in intensive care units by nurses, which stimulates the prospect of nurse-led extubation extending into the PACU environment for improved patient outcomes and reduced demand of hospital resources. Nurse-led patient extubation in the PACU, would involve specially trained nurses weaning mechanical ventilation via an established protocol for a specific patient group, prior to the patient being extubated by an anaesthetist or intensivist.