Clinical Scorecard: Influence of ERAS-Informed Nursing Practices on Early Mobilization Following Lung Cancer Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis
At a Glance
Category
Detail
Condition
Postoperative recovery following lung cancer surgery
Key Mechanisms
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)-based refined nursing promotes early mobilization, optimized pain management, and tailored perioperative interventions to improve functional recovery and reduce complications
Target Population
Patients undergoing radical lung cancer surgery
Care Setting
Perioperative and postoperative care in thoracic surgery units
Key Highlights
ERAS-guided refined nursing significantly accelerates time to first ambulation and increases early walking distances post lung cancer surgery
Patients receiving ERAS-based nursing show improved functional capacity, earlier gastrointestinal recovery, reduced drainage and catheterization duration, and shorter hospital length of stay
ERAS nursing reduces postoperative pain, analgesic use, and incidence of complications including pulmonary infection, deep venous thrombosis, and arrhythmia, while enhancing nursing compliance and patient satisfaction
Guideline-Based Recommendations
Diagnosis
Assess patient baseline functional status and risk factors preoperatively to tailor ERAS nursing interventions
Management
Implement ERAS-based refined nursing protocols including standardized education, psychological support, respiratory and physical training, multimodal analgesia, and stepwise early mobilization
Encourage ambulation on the day of surgery or within 24 hours postoperatively to reduce morbidity and improve recovery
Monitoring & Follow-up
Use quantitative mobilization endpoints such as time to first ambulation, ambulation distance at 24 and 48 hours, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Barthel Index to evaluate early postoperative mobility
Monitor pain levels, analgesic usage, and signs of complications including pulmonary infection, deep venous thrombosis, and arrhythmia
Risks
Delayed mobilization increases risk of muscle atrophy, impaired ventilatory function, orthostatic intolerance, venous thromboembolism, and prolonged hospitalization
Inadequate nursing compliance may reduce effectiveness of ERAS protocols and worsen patient outcomes
Patient & Prescribing Data
136 patients undergoing radical lung cancer surgery, divided equally into conventional nursing and ERAS-guided refined nursing groups
ERAS-based refined nursing leads to earlier ambulation, improved functional outcomes, reduced complications, decreased pain and analgesic use, and higher patient satisfaction compared to conventional nursing
Clinical Best Practices
Adopt a multidisciplinary ERAS pathway emphasizing early mobilization as a core component after lung cancer surgery
Provide individualized nursing care with detailed assessment and stratified risk management to optimize recovery
Incorporate multimodal analgesia and respiratory training to facilitate patient participation in early mobilization
Standardize measurement of early mobilization outcomes to monitor compliance and effectiveness
Educate nursing staff to address knowledge gaps and promote adherence to ERAS protocols
