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Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Abstract

Introduction: Older adults aged 65 and over are vulnerable to functional decline during hospitalization and negative outcomes associated with immobility such as pressure injuries and falls. Studies reveal that nurses overlook patient mobilization due to competing priorities and a lack of comfort with patient mobilization. Hospital-associated functional decline can be mitigated through mobilization protocols. A 36-bed medical surgical unit in a South Florida hospital did not have a protocol for patient mobility.

Methods: Nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding patient mobility were assessed using a pre-implementation survey. A virtual education program about the mobility protocol was provided via an online platform. Three weeks later, a post-implementation survey was administered to those who attended the education.

Results: Fourteen nurses completed both the pre- and post-test surveys. The nurse-led mobility protocol educational intervention was associated with (a) an increase in average scores from the pre-test nursing mobility attitudes (M = 3.50) and behavior subscales (M = 3.40) to the post-test scores (M = 3.56 and M =3.75, respectively) and (b) a significant increase in the average knowledge scores from the pre-test survey (M = 4.31) to the post test survey (M = 4.62), t(13) = -2.74, p < 0.05.

Discussion: The results suggest that the mobility education was successful in increasing nurse mobilization knowledge. Methods to improve nurses’ attitudes and behaviors toward patient mobility should be further explored.

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