Nursing Care Provision: Initiative Patient Sitting Out Program

Abstract Description

Proposed Topic (Most preferred): :

Staff Engagement and Empowerment (motivating staff / teamwork / work revamp tackling manpower issue / staff wellness / OSH / retention)

Authors (including presenting author) :

Lam CY, Chu MWC, Lai SC, Lee HY, Li KY

Affiliation :

Department of Rehabilitation and Extended Care, TWGHs Wong Tai Sin Hospital

Introduction :

Prolonged bed rest during hospitalization can lead to various complications (Saint-Preux, Nally & Fusco, 2021), highlighting the importance of early mobilization interventions, such as patient sitting out programs. (Pederson, et al., 2020) However, nurses often face challenges in consistently implementing sit out due to heavy workloads and conflicting priorities. This abstract presents the “Nursing Care Provision: Initiative Patient Sitting Out Program”, a ward-based project implemented in Wong Tai Sin Hospital (WTSH), aimed at empowering nurses to play an active role in promoting sit out of bed, reducing prolonged bed rest, and addressing the challenges they encounter.

Objectives :

This program aims to empower nurses by providing them with necessary knowledge, skills, and support to overcome barriers and effectively promote sit out among hospitalized patients. This program seeks to enhance nurses' engagement, improve patient outcomes, and minimize complications associated with prolonged bed rest.

Methodology :

The program includes a comprehensive educational session and promotion that emphasizes the benefits of patient sitting out and the crucial role nurses play in promoting early mobilization. Pre- and post-quizzes assess nurses' knowledge of sit-out practices, while pre- and post-evaluations evaluate their attitudes towards initiating patient sitting out. Additionally, a revised routine is introduced, incorporating an extra session during the afternoon duty. During this session, nurses are empowered to select suitable patients for sitting out and delegate the intervention to supporting staff, fostering collaboration and shared responsibility.

Result & Outcome :

Following the implementation of the Sitting Out Program, significant improvements were observed. The average patient sit-out rate increased from 56% (pre-program: Sep-Nov2022) to 72% (post-program: Dec22-Feb23), indicating enhanced adherence to sit out practices and reduced prolonged bed rest. The average scores on the pre- and post-quizzes for supporting staff increased from 65.4 to 97.9, and for nurses, the scores improved from 81 to 100, demonstrating a substantial increase in knowledge acquisition. The pre- and post-evaluation results revealed lower concerns about initiating patient sitting out, increased awareness of early sitting out, and enhanced motivation to perform the intervention among the nursing staff.

In conclusion, the Sitting Out Program successfully empowered nurses, addressed implementation challenges, and improved patient outcomes by promoting sit-out and reducing prolonged bed rest. It also fostered a culture of early mobilization among hospitalized patients within ward setting.