Early Mobilization in the ICU: Safety and Recovery Outcomes

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work in or alongside intensive care units, acute care therapy teams, and clinicians who receive patients after a critical illness admission.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants practicing in acute care, critical care, and post-acute rehabilitation settings.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course reports on a single source: Safety and early mobilization in intensive care unit patients: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, by Khan, Moeed, Mari, Yousuf, Hanson, Dong, Cornelius, Anjum, Ratnani, and Surani. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO in September 2024.

The authors searched the literature from inception through September 2024 for randomized controlled trials comparing early mobilization — physical movement or exercise started within 72 hours of ICU admission — against usual or conventional care in critically ill adults. Sixteen trials published between 2009 and 2024, covering 2385 patients, met the criteria. Every claim and number in this course traces to that paper.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe what the review's authors meant by early mobilization and which patients were studied across the 16 included trials.
2. State what the pooled analysis found for ICU length of stay, ventilation duration, muscle strength, functional status, adverse events, mortality, and quality of life.
3. Explain the limitations the authors identified and how those limits shape the confidence a clinician can place in the conclusions.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Podcast: Early Mobilization in the ICU (about nine minutes)
3. Why Immobility in the ICU Became a Research Question
4. How the Review Was Built and Who Was Included
5. What the Pooled Trials Showed
6. Where the Evidence Is Shaky
7. What the Authors Say This Could Mean in the ICU
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course reports on a single source: Safety and early mobilization in intensive care unit patients: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, by Khan, Moeed, Mari, Yousuf, Hanson, Dong, Cornelius, Anjum, Ratnani, and Surani. The review protocol was registered with PROSPERO in September 2024.
2. The authors searched the literature from inception through September 2024 for randomized controlled trials comparing early mobilization — physical movement or exercise started within 72 hours of ICU admission — against usual or conventional care in critically ill adults. Sixteen trials published between 2009 and 2024, covering 2385 patients, met the criteria. Every claim and number in this course traces to that paper.