Early and targeted mobilization after surgical interventions

Early mobilization, which still has no standard definition, is an important component of enhanced recovery after all surgical interventions. By providing early and targeted mobilization, many postsurgical complications can be prevented, and the recovery period and hospital stay can be shortened. However, there are many obstacles reported by both healthcare team members and patients in the achievement of early and targeted mobilization. In addition, there is currently no strong evidence to guide clinical practice in this context. The establishment of mobilization programs specific to surgical patients in healthcare institutions, informing patients about the mobilization process in the preoperative period, determining step goals, promoting motivation, monitoring the number of steps, and encouraging patients to keep a mobilization diary are among the practices that can be implemented to ensure early and targeted mobilization. It is also underlined that early mobilization involves multidisciplinary teamwork. As healthcare professionals, nurses are an important member of the multidisciplinary team in the implementation of early and targeted mobilization programs to maintain the quality of care after surgery. This review aimed to highlight the roles and responsibilities of surgical nurses in early and targeted mobilization practices after surgery and the importance of early and targeted mobilization and discuss the barriers encountered in achieving early and targeted mobilization and the recommendations of current guidelines on this subject.