Patients' and care givers' experiences of postoperative mobilization
Jesper Sjögren, Karen Smaradottir, Felicia JohanssonAbstract
Introduction
Surgical procedures are common and are predicted to continue to increase in number. Risk of complications is between 6% to 44% and affected by several different factors. Postoperative mobilization can reduce the risk of many complications and alleviate several postoperative symptoms. The effects of mobilization after surgery have long been recognized in healthcare, despite this, it still lacks a clear definition. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of postoperative mobilization in hospitals, from a patient and health care worker’s perspective.
Methods
A systematic literature review that included qualitative studies along with one mixed method studie, of which only the qualitative part was included. The literature search was conducted in the databases PubMed, Cinahl and Scopus. A total of 12 articles were identified. An inductive manifest analysis was conducted according to Bettany-Saltikov & McSherry's procedure.
Results
Three themes; The emotional experience, The importance of and impact of mobilization during the care process, The impact of the environment, based on eight subcategories.
Discussion
The experience of postoperative mobilization varies and is influenced by both individual factors and the surrounding context. The mobilization process is dynamic, where symptoms both arise and are alleviated. The patient's attitude and emotional commitment affect the implementation and a collaboration between the care team, the patient and relatives is crucial. Postoperative mobilization occurs after all forms of surgery regardless of the surgical size or preoperative abilities.