135 The Impact of an Early Mobilisation Initiative Evidence from an Acute Care Setting

Abstract

Abstract Background Unnecessary bed rest results in a loss of mobility and an increased length of hospital stay. Despite mobilising regularly being acknowledged as an important preventative measure for deconditioning, inpatient functional decline continues to pose a significant challenge in hospital settings. Hospital-based mobility initiatives offer the potential to address issues of functional decline, improve patient outcomes and hospital length of stay. The aim of this research is to examine the impact of an early mobilisation initiative called “End PJ Paralysis”. Methods The research design comprises of three elements: (i) an examination of a period that promoted mobility to all patients on one acute unit (ii) an analysis of the reported number of falls during the study period and (iii) an exploration of perceptions and attitudes of nurses, nurse managers, and patients involved with the initiative. Results Our study demonstrates that following a 10-week promotion of the initiative from April 17th-June 26th 2018 in an acute care setting in south of Ireland, an increase of 15% of patients were mobilising and a decrease in the number of reported falls. In addition, staff participation was found to increase and self-reported patient satisfaction improved. Factors identified as influencing the impact of the initiative included patient and staff behavior, nurse management leadership, and effective communication. Conclusion The study provides evidence to suggest that early mobilisation initiatives can prevent deconditioning and improve patient outcomes. Each day a patient spends in hospital should contribute towards their recovery and discharge and mobilising patients while in hospital has a profound impact on their functional status.