Educational Needs Analysis for Postoperative Early Ambulation Among Surgical-Ward Nurses and Patients: Using Borich Needs Assessment and Locus for Focus Models.
Minji Park, Younhee Jeong
PMID 42174404WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses and postoperative patients identified large gaps between recognizing the importance of early ambulation and performing preparatory exercises.
Knee-to-chest, ankle exercises, and upper extremity movements were the top priorities for education.
Key findings
01Nurses showed substantial performance gaps in basic in-bed exercises like knee-to-chest and ankle exercises, despite recognizing their importance.
02Patients reported the largest educational needs for assessing muscle strength before surgery and performing knee-to-chest exercises.
03Pre-ambulation preparation, rather than just the act of walking, emerged as the primary area needing structured education for both groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted in a single tertiary hospital in South Korea, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other healthcare systems or staffing models. All data were self-reported, which introduces the risk of response bias, as participants may overestimate their performance or importance ratings. The cross-sectional design prevents any conclusion about causality, such as whether education directly causes improved ambulation outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors have nothing to report regarding funding or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the identified educational gaps as evidence that patients are suffering from poor mobility outcomes or complications. The study measured perceptions and self-reported performance, not actual clinical recovery rates or complication incidence.