A nurse-led initiative that introduces alerts through a unit’s call light system is helping patients start moving sooner after surgery, supporting faster recovery and enhancing their experience.
“Our patients are very happy to get up,” said UCHealth Memorial Hospital North Medical Surgical Unit Charge Nurse Keenan Carver, BSN, RN, CMSRN, who led the initiative, which focused on orthopedic patients. “They may initially be scared or a little reluctant. But once they get moving, they become more optimistic about their recovery.”
Early mobility is critical for surgical patients, improving pulmonary and gastrointestinal function, reducing deconditioning and shortening hospital stays. As part of his UEXCEL Level III project, Carver focused on increasing mobilization within four hours of postoperative arrival. The work aligned with the hospital’s workflow for early and progressive mobility following spine surgery, with a goal for early movement to improve recovery outcomes.
When automated reminders in the electronic health record were not feasible, Carver identified an alternative solution using the patient room call light system. He developed a manual mobility reminder activated by staff through an in-room device for postoperative patients. The workflow was designed to trigger at 3.5 hours after arrival, helping teams meet the four-hour mobilization goal. The system alerted staff through a flashing hallway light and a “care due” notification.
Carver partnered with unit leadership to provide staff education, reinforcing the importance of early mobility. Updates included adding prompts to postoperative documentation and training staff to activate reminders.
Following implementation, documented mobility attempts or barriers within four hours increased by 10.8%, demonstrating measurable improvement in early mobility compliance. This work establishes a scalable approach to support orthopedic patients and informs future enhancements, including automated reminders within the electronic health record.
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