Background: Invasive mechanical ventilation is a risk factor for the development of VAP (Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia), which most commonly occurs 48 hours after intubation. It is the most commonand serious complication of mechanical ventilation and worsens the condition of the already critically ill patient. There are no preventive measures that can completely prevent VAP, but there are evidencebased guidelines to reduce the risk.

The aim: The purpose of this thesis is to describe the nursing measures that have been shown to be effective in the preventive work against VAP.

Method: A literature review with a quantitative approach, based on 20 quantitative scientific articles. Two databases were systematically explored PubMed and CINAHL. Caldwell et al. (2011) was used to assess the quality of the studies.

Results: Included studies were categorized into a main theme with six subcategories. The main theme was preventive nursing measures with sub-themes tipping angle, oral care, suction system, abdominal massage and residual volume, VAP measure package, and nurse staffing. The study shows that above mentioned interventions reduce the risk of VAP. In the material studied, there was no demonstrated significant effect showing that a closed suction system is better than an open suction system inpreventing the incidence of VAP.

Conclusion: Continuous education is needed to increase knowledge and to maintain preventive work against VAP.