Early postoperative mobilization in patients undergoing abdominal surgery: a best practice implementation project

Area of Science:

• Surgical Care
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Patient Recovery

Background:

• Early postoperative mobilization is vital for recovery after abdominal surgery.
• Challenges exist in implementing standardized early mobilization protocols in clinical practice.
• This project aimed to bridge the gap between evidence and practice for early mobilization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the implementation of best-practice early postoperative mobilization for abdominal surgery patients.
• To enhance awareness and adherence to evidence-based early mobilization protocols.
• To evaluate the impact of improved mobilization on patient outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the JBI Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System (JBI PACES) for clinical audit.
• Employed an audit-feedback cycle from April to August 2018, involving 18 nurses and 30 patients.
• Applied the Getting Research into Practice tool to identify barriers and implement evidence-based strategies.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in compliance rates for all six best-practice criteria post-intervention (P < 0.05).
• Statistically significant reductions in length of hospitalization and improvements in postoperative physical activity (P < 0.05).
• No significant difference in postoperative complication rates due to low incidence.

Conclusions:

• Evidence-based practice, through enhanced early mobilization, is effective for improving recovery in abdominal surgery patients.
• Sustained improvements require ongoing follow-up audits to maintain best practices.
• The study highlights the success of a structured approach to implementing clinical evidence.