Abstract
Background: Intensive care unit (ICU) is a major component of health care environment in a hospital where ventilation support plays a crucial role, and this makes the patients to be restricted to bed and may face difficulties in their self care abilities after extubation. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of ambulation on the level of self-care abilities of patients weaned from the ventilator in the intensive care unit. Objective: The objectives of the study were to assess the level of self-care abilities, to determine the effectiveness of ambulation, and the association with clinical variables among patients weaned from the ventilator in the interventional and non-interventional groups. Methodology: A quasi-experimental time-series design was adopted for this study. The study was conducted with a sample size of 30. The interventional group patients (n=15) received ambulation after weaning and the control group patients (n=15) received routine ICU care. The distance and period of ambulation were progressively increased for the next five days from the initial visit. Data were collected about their activities of daily living for up to five days. Results: In the pretest, all the 15 (100%) patients were in a dependent state. On the fifth day of observation, 14 (93.3%) patients were independent and only one (6.7%) was partially dependent in the interventional group. Out of 15 patients in the non-interventional group, only nine (60%) were partially dependent, and six (40%) were independent on the fifth day of observation. There was a statistical significant improvement (p <0.001) in the level of self-care abilities within the interventional group, between the pretest and post-test values taken on the second, third, fourth, and fifth day of observation. Practicing ambulation after weaning from the ventilator was found to be effective. There was a significant improvement in the level of self-care abilities between the interventional and non-interventional groups on the second, third and fourth day of observation (p <0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggests that all intensive care nurses can practice ambulation for the patients soon after they are weaned from the ventilator to regain their self-care abilities as early as possible.
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