Promoting Mobility in the Intensive Care Unit: An Educational Interprofessional Initiative

Background: Collaborative interprofessional practice is essential in the critical care arena to promote quality, safety, and positive outcomes for patients. An interprofessional educational activity focusing on early mobilization of intubated intensive care patients was undertaken with senior level nursing students and physical therapy students. Evidence demonstrates that these patients have improved functional outcomes, fewer days requiring mechanical ventilation, fewer days of delirium, and decreased length of stay both within the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital with early mobilization efforts. Method: Students applied knowledge from the literature, clinical guidelines, and evidence-based practices in developing a plan of care to facilitate early mobility of the intensive care intubated patient. A structured debriefing session followed. Results: Students developed a keen appreciation of collaborative, interprofessional, evidence-based care vital to patients who are intubated in the ICU. Conclusion: Student engagement in simulated interprofessional teams potentially influences their perceptions and attitudes about its benefits which are necessary for future professional practice.