Mobility Protocol Nursing Standard of Care

When Pitt County Memorial Hospital intensive care unit (ICU) and medical intermediate unit (MIU) staff became concerned that immobility of patients can lead to a longer length of stay and deconditioning, an interdisciplinary team was formed to address the problem.

Assigned to the team were pulmonary clinical nurse specialist Jennie Blevins, medical ICU nurse manager Stephanie Westbrook, staff development coordinator Lauren Chadwick, unit educators Michelle Tracy and Anne Chadwick, assistant MIU nurse manager, Linda Ipock, case manager MIU, Wendy Crumpler, staff nurses, the medical ICU/ MIU medical director, and a physical therapist.

In 2002, the team researched how mobility could benefit the patient population. The priorities of the team included the following:

However, when the concept of mobility was introduced, staff raised questions and concerns. The concern we heard most was, “It is difficult to move a patient out...