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Abstract
Background: Early ambulation is an essential component of postoperative nursing care that promotes functional recovery and may reduce complications associated with prolonged immobility. Nurses’ knowledge can potentially influence their ability to implement appropriate ambulation practices; however, the relationship between knowledge and practice may vary across clinical settings.
Objective: To determine the association between nurses’ knowledge and practice of early ambulation in postoperative care.
Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted among 91 nurses working in surgical wards, general wards, intensive care units, and other clinical areas. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing participants’ demographic characteristics, knowledge, and practice regarding postoperative early ambulation. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the study variables, while Pearson’s correlation coefficient was applied to determine the association between knowledge and practice. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05.
Results: Of the 91 nurses, 47.3% were aged 30–39 years, 90.1% were female, and 56.0% held a nursing diploma. Nearly two-fifths (39.6%) had more than 10 years of professional experience, while 61.5% had not received formal training related to early ambulation. Almost half (49.5%) worked in surgical wards. Nurses demonstrated generally favorable early-ambulation practices. Pearson’s correlation showed a weak positive association between knowledge and practice (r = 0.140), which was not statistically significant (p = 0.184).
Conclusion
Nurses demonstrated generally favorable practices regarding postoperative early ambulation. Although knowledge showed a positive tendency toward better practice, the association was weak and statistically non-significant. These findings suggest that factors beyond knowledge, including clinical experience, institutional protocols, supervision, staffing, and available resources, may influence early-ambulation practices. Targeted training combined with supportive organizational strategies may further strengthen postoperative mobilization practices.