Abstract
The growth of the medical field has resulted in an increase of patients with co-morbidities. Many patients admitted to the intensive care unit present (ICU) with multiple co-morbidities. These co-morbidities add to the frailty of the patient. Frailty has an increased an increased 6 month mortality rate (Maguet, Roquilly, Lasocki, Asehnoune,…& Sequin, 2014). Hospital stays, specifically ICU stays, are one of the largest expenditures for Medicare. To reduce costs, ICU lengths of stay need to be shortened. A growing body of evidence supports the feasibility, safety, and short- and long-term functional benefits of early mobility. Early mobility can be maintained throughout the stay in the ICU, as well as, the entire hospitalization. Despite its potential benefits, effective early mobility is not widely practiced in the ICU. Therefore, nurses need to advocate for early mobility for patients in the ICU. Current literature supports a nursing-led protocol to prioritize effective early mobilization in the ICU. Future recommendations based on the evidence supports the implementation of a nursing led protocol that focuses on early mobility to decrease a patient’s length of stay and improve both functional and psychological outcomes, while maintaining quality care and taking into account the needs of each individual patient and institution.
Date of Completion of Thesis/SIP
Spring 5-7-2021
Document Type
Scholarly Inquiry Paper (SIP)
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Julie Ponto
Second Advisor
Dawn Bos
Location
Le Center, Minnesota
Recommended Citation
Flicek, Anne, "Developing an Early Mobility Nurse-Led Protocol in Critical Care Patients" (2021). Nursing Masters Papers. 392.
https://openriver.winona.edu/nursingmasters/392
