Nurse-involved early mobilization in the intensive care unit: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Early mobilization is one proposed strategy for reducing complications and optimizing patient outcomes. Nurses play an essential role in patient monitoring and co-ordination.

Aims: To assess the effects of a nurse-involved early mobilization programme on muscle strength and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay and identify the components of an early mobilization programme.

Study design: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, Cochrane and CINAHL databases were searched. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies of adult ICU patients undergoing early mobilization. The studies were appraised using RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools, and a meta-analysis was performed using Rstudio 2023.06.2.

Results: Nine studies were selected from 943 studies. Four studies involved only ICU nurses, while five involved multidisciplinary teams. Concerns about bias were raised in four RCTs, and two non-randomized studies had moderate bias risk. Interventions involved progressive exercise steps, but none detailed the specific role of nurses. Early mobilization significantly decreased ICU length of stay (95% CI: -3.22, -0.11; p = .04), although it did not improve muscle strength (95% CI: -0.86, 0.99; p = .80).

Conclusions: Nurse-involved early mobilization was associated with a reduction in ICU stay, although it did not impact muscle strength. The nurses' roles were not specifically defined.

Relevance to clinical practice: An analysis of relevant tasks is necessary to clarify the role of nurses in early mobilization and to provide optimal care. Including these roles is crucial in the development of standardized early mobilization.