Purpose: To describe anesthetic nurses’ experiences of key factors for thesuccessful management of difficult airways in adult patients.Design: This study had a qualitative observational and descriptive designfollowing the critical incident technique.Methods: Twelve experienced anesthetic nurses were interviewed.Findings: We identified five key factors for the successful management ofdifficult airways: identification of the difficult airway, creating a plan ofaction, remaining calm and focusing on the task, technical skills, and usingthe equipment. Identification of the difficult airway implies preassessmentwith standardized methods and actively observing for signsindicative of a difficult airway. Having all equipment available atbedside during induction and creating a backup plan increases the actionforce in unexpected situations. A calm and methodical work procedurefacilitates the management of the difficult airway as well as selectingtechniques and equipment according to the patient and situation.Conclusions: Reflective practice can aid the anesthetic nurse in drawingon experience and remaining calm in acute situations.