Mechanical ventilation is required when the spontaneous ventilation of a patient is inadequate to maintain and sustain signs of life. It can be used on a short term measure during a surgical operation or critical illness. It may also be used in home care settings or in a nursing or rehabilitation institution if patients have chronic illnesses that require long-term ventilator assistance. As mechanical ventilation is now a standard intervention for respiratory failure in intensive care units and a very less studies have been done regarding the various aspects of care of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. This study is planned to develop specific guidelines, after the identification of learning need areas of the staff nurses working in intensive care units as well as emergency regarding nursing care of clients on a ventilator. Well structured, validated guidelines regarding the nursing care of the client on a ventilator will act as a guide for staff nurses to meet the optimum health care needs of the clients on a ventilator. A descriptive survey with Pre experimental “one group of pretest and post-test design” was used for the study. The study sample comprises of 50 staff nurses working in ICU/ Emergency selected by non-probability purposive sampling technique. The Structured interview schedule was used to collect needed data. Result shows that majority of subjects 44 (88%) was in the age group 21-30 years. All subjects 50 (100%) were female. As regards their education, majority 44 (88%) were GNM. Data regarding total experience shows that more than half, ie, 38 (76%) were having 1-5 years of clinical experience and majority 32 (64%) were having 1-2 years total clinical experience in ICU/ Emergency. A total of 39 (78 %) were unmarried and remaining 11 (22%) were married. Most of subjects 38 (64%) had not undergone in-service training regarding nursing care of patients on a ventilator. Majority of subjects, 37 (74%) were having moderate learning needs, whereas only 13 (25%) were having higher learning needs regarding nursing care of the client on a ventilator.