Improving Early Mobilization in Acute Stroke Patients Through Best Practice Education

• Main Author: Middleton, Angela Christine
• Format: Others
• Language: en
• Published: ScholarWorks 2019
• Subjects: cerebral vascular accident; Early Mobilization; Mobilization; Staff Education; Stroke; Nursing; Public Health Education and Promotion
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6760; https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8039&context=dissertations

Nonadherence to best practice guidelines in early mobilization in acute stroke increases the time from admission to mobilization and may increase residual long-term stroke effects. Early mobilization following an acute stroke is known to decrease long-term and secondary disability. The purpose of this project was to decrease the time from admission to mobilization in the acute stroke patient population by improving knowledge of best-practice guidelines in early mobility using an educational intervention for advanced practice nurse practitioners, physicians, and registered nurses. The practice-focused question for this project asked whether a staff educational program based on best-practice guidelines would decrease the time from admission to early mobilization in the acute stroke patient within the first 48 hours of admission. Rosswurm and Larrabee 6-step model was used for this staff education project. A review of the literature indicated sources of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, which were used to support the staff education project and establish best practices in mobilization for the acute stroke patient. A before-and-after design was used to evaluate time from admission to mobilization within the first 48 hours in 40 acute ischemic stroke adult patients following educational intervention for 35 acute stroke staff. Data were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings revealed a decrease in time from admission to mobilization by 18.59%. Findings may be used to promote best practices in other units within the hospital and may be used to decrease the residual long-term effects of a stroke, improve activities of daily living, decrease the length of hospital stay, and decrease the long-term cost and burden of stroke.