Publication Date
Spring 2024
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Lisa Walker-Vischer
Second Advisor
Katherine Ricossa
Keywords
ICU patient outcomes, early mobility, barriers to mobility, nurse-led patient mobility
Abstract
Approximately 800,000 patients in the United States annually are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to critical illnesses and prolonged immobility contributes to poor patient outcomes. While existing data demonstrates early and progressive mobility helps improve outcomes, adherence remains inconsistent for a variety of reasons such as safety concerns, staffing, and lack of knowledge and confidence of mobilization techniques. This quality improvement project, conducted in a 20-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit, asked staff to identify barriers to adherence to mobility protocols. Nurse managers and clinical educators play a crucial role in addressing these issues using strategies such as enhancing communication, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, employing visual prompts, providing comprehensive training, and frequently engaging with staff to actively support and prioritize early mobility initiatives. Overcoming these challenges through increasing staff engagement, providing clear guidelines, and ensuring access to necessary resources are a few of the targeted implementation strategies identified to bridge the gap between evidence and practice to foster continuous improvement and better patient outcomes in ICU settings.
Recommended Citation
Bigler, Leslie S., "Unlocking ICU Barriers: Investigating The Challenges of Early Progressive Mobility" (2024). Doctoral Projects. 171.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.cwae-82tz
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_doctoral/171
