Proning for COVID-19 Patients: A Task-Shifting Feasibility Study

The COVID-19 crisis severely impacted healthcare centers in the pandemic’s epicenter. The shortage of healthcare workers (HCW) frequently utilized for complex interventions in the intensive care unit (ICU), such as proning for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), inspired a team of ICU professionals to implement a task-shifting initiative. Thirty-three HCW from various departments participated in the training. The interdisciplinary team performed multiple proning sessions on 90 patients with COVID-19-related ARDS. Participants indicated that the training session equipped them with adequate skills to safely prone patients. The training emphasized effective teamwork and communication while also increasing trainees’ awareness of proning benefits.