title: "Walking the dog" to enhance postoperative recovery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurses on an adult surgical unit perceived a decrease in patients' mobility and an increase in postoperative complications, which led to an initiative to motivate patients to ambulate.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The questions addressed in this study refer to adult patients having surgery: Is there a relationship between ambulation and length of stay (LOS)? Did "walking the dog" affect how early and how many times they ambulated? Did "walking the dog" affect the incidence of postoperative complications?
  
  
  METHODS
  Photos of dogs were made available and patients were encouraged to "walk the dog" at least three times daily.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although this intervention didn't lead to a significant difference in LOS or complications, patients anecdotally reported an increased motivation to ambulate.
authors.affiliation: Cynthia W. Ward is a surgical clinical nurse specialist at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Va.
authors.forename: Cynthia W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D009042:Motivation; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D013527:Perioperative Nursing; D010781:Photography; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013503:Surgery Department, Hospital; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult