Physical and Functional Recovery From Cardiac Surgery in Hospitalized Patients: A Feasibility Pilot Study

Ambulation following surgery has been found to be beneficial for patients; however, nurses
and doctors struggle with getting post-operative, hospitalized patients to walk on their own.
One promising strategy to address this might be an ambulation orderly, an employee whose
single responsibility is to assure that patients walk 3-4 times per day. However, the effect
of the ambulation orderly on post-operative physical activity has not yet been described. It
is important to quantify what the ambulation orderly does in order to assess if this is an
effective method for helping patients walk. As a result, the investigators will perform a
pilot randomized controlled trial to test the effects of an ambulation orderly in patients
hospitalized with recent cardiac surgery. Half of the patients will be assigned to walk with
the ambulation orderly 3-4 times/day and the control group will be given standard nursing
encouragement and assistance and encouragement to walk. The investigators will evaluate the
average total daily step counts (over the hospital course, usually 4-7 days) and the change
in walking distance between a baseline and a final 6 minute walk test. The investigators will
also evaluate exercise physiologic parameters (heart rate, oxygen saturation) during
ambulation, patient functional independence, and patient satisfaction.