Table 3.
Early postoperative ambulation protocol48
| Stage 1 (safety) | Sit over edge of bed/sit in chair minimum of 2 min. |
| Stage 2 (safety) | March on spot 0–1 min. |
| Stage 3 (ambulation) | March on spot/walk away from bedside 1–3 min. |
| Stage 4 (ambulation) | March on spot/walk away from bedside 3–6 min. |
| Stage 5 (ambulation) | Walk away from bedside 6–10 min. |
| Stage 6 (ambulation) | Walk away from bedside 10–15 min. |
| Stage 7 (ambulation) | Walk away from bedside >15 min. |
Protocol
Provide assisted early ambulation as soon as possible on the first postoperative day.
At each session progress through each stage in sequence. Time achieved in the session is accumulative.
Aim to achieve rating of perceived exertion of greater than 3/10.
Aim to assist patient to ambulate more than 10 min (stage 6 or greater).
Once patient able to ambulate past stage 3, patient can be assisted to ambulate with a physiotherapy assistant, as long as safe to do as determined by the ward physiotherapist.
Interval training is permissible to obtain target walking time. Each interval of rest time must not exceed the preceding work time. Total session time is the accumulative work time.
Provide assisted early ambulation once a day until discharged according to the discharge scoring tool.49