• April Messer, Linda Comer, and Steve Forst.
• April Messer is a staff nurse in a medical-surgical intensive care unit at Mission Health, Asheville, North Carolina, and previously served as chairperson of the nurse practice council for the hospital where she practices.Linda Comer is the executive associate director, School of Nursing, Western Carolina University. She is also the coordinator for the nurse educator master's program and teaches the nurse educator specialty courses.Steve Forst is an assistant professor, School of Nursing, Western Carolina University. april.messer@msj.org.
• Crit Care Nurse. 2015 Oct 1; 35 (5): 28-42.

BackgroundCurrent literature supports implementation of progressive mobility protocols in intensive care units. Education can help nurses overcome barriers to mobility and increase knowledge about the positive effects of mobility.ObjectiveTo evaluate the effect of education for a progressive mobilization program for intensive care nurses on knowledge and performance.MethodsA pretest-posttest evaluation was conducted for 41 nurses, and a chart review was performed before and after implementation of the educational intervention to evaluate changes in knowledge and mobilization.ResultsScores after the educational intervention were significantly higher than scores before the intervention (t = 2.02; P < .001). Overall mobilization (P = .04) and dangling (P = .01) increased significantly after the education. No significant increases occurred in ambulating or getting patients up to a chair.ConclusionsMobilization education was effective and increased nurses' knowledge about the benefits of mobility for critically ill patients. The educational program also affected how nurses performed mobility interventions. Although provision of education had positive effects on patients' mobility, leadership and coaching are still important components in implementing change.©2015 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

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