Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarify the structure of nurses' function to coordinate a multi-professional team in the management of artificial ventilator. Participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted on 34 nurses who were responsible for management of artificial ventilator for the patients in the acute stage and 6 members of staff from different professions. We made an analysis based on the modified grounded theory approach.
Our analysis showed that the coordinating function was expressed through "demonstrating the advantage of nursing aimed at weaning" by the nurses in the multi-professional team, and served as "a hub to link between the patients and the entire team" for the nurses who existed between the patients/their family and the team members. The nurses captured the entire picture of artificial breathing management as a hub and an information center for the team. As they "took and enhanced command of functions by other professions" according to the patient situation and the team activities, the team focused all its efforts on the patients by "integrating the functions each profession had". The nurses further lead the team activities toward an artificial breathing management where both individuality and everydayness were maximized by "reflecting individuality" and "challenging for maximization of everydayness".
