Introduction: The position of the patient during artificial ventilation is crucial for the outcome of the treatment. Positioning the patient in the correct position can improve airflow and reduce the incidence of respiratory complications such as atelectasis, gastric aspiration, and pneumonia. Pronated patients require continuous monitoring and control of their rapidly changing medical condition. A nurse plays a key role in preventing complications, she must have a lot of professional knowledge, the ability to quickly and decisively make the right decisions and measures in case of complications. Purpose: The purpose of the diploma work is to present pronation as a treatment method in the intensive care unit with the help of domestic and especially foreign scientific and professional literature. Methods: The diploma work used a descriptive method of work with a review of domestic and foreign scientific and professional literature in the field of nursing on the topic under consideration. The literature was reviewed using MedLine, Pubmed, CINAHL Ultimate databases. The hits were time-limited to literature that was published in the last 10 years, from 2013 to 2023, in Slovenian and English. We used original and transparent scientific articles that are accessible to users of the library of the University of Ljubljana in full text. Results: We found that the most common complication in pronated patients in intensive care units is pressure injury, especially in the facial areas. The nurse's role in preventing pressure injuries is critical in ensuring patients' well-being and quality of life. Various methods of prevention and treatment of pressure injuries can be used, such as relief, various compresses, proper personal hygiene, nutritional supplements, etc. Discussion and conclusion: Through a review of scientific and professional articles, we presented the most common complications in patients in a prone position, the role and methods of treatment in which the nurse participates. In any case, we believe that proper training and education of nurses in this area is important to ensure quality patient care and prevent pressure injuries and other complications.
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