A four-stage quality improvement study aimed at increasing the frequency of mobilisation of patients in the Royal Adelaide Hospital Intensive Care Unit: Parts 1 and 4

The participants in Parts 1 and 4 of the study – the prospective audits – will comprise all patients in the Royal Adelaide Hospital Intensive Care Unit over the audit periods. Patients will receive usual care. The frequency of mobilisation, type of mobilisation, adverse events during mobilisation, staff involved in mobilisation and reasons mobilisation did not occur will be recorded. Audit 1 will occur for a 1 month period in November 2013. Audit 2 (Part 4) will occur for a 1 month period in June 2014. A prospective staff survey investigating staff perceptions of the effectiveness of the quality improvement project will also be undertaken in June 2014 (Part 4 of the study). This will involve permanent/semi-permanent Royal Adelaide Hospital Intensive Care Unit staff (i.e. medical staff [consultants, senior registrars], nursing staff, physiotherapists. Return of the completed survey will be taken as an indication of informed consent. The survey consists of a series of closed statements that require responses using a visual analogue scale and two open questions that explore perceived barriers to the early progressive mobilisation of Intensive Care Unit patients. The survey will be distributed on a single occasion to relevant staff.