A few years before starting as editor of Mobility Management, I had
abdominal surgery that hospitalized me for more than a week. After the
surgery, I had a high fever and internal bleeding that required blood
transfusions. I was in so much pain, I
swear even my hair and fingernails hurt.

The morning of the second day, nurses,
nurses’ aides, the surgeon and the other
specialists began urging me to sit up, get
out of bed, and walk. They cited elevated
risks of blood clots and potential respiratory
complications from immobility. Family
and friends coaxed as the doctors’ voices hardened: Mobility is the best way
to reduce the risk of further complications. I ignored them until the surgeon
insisted I at least sit up. Without warning, he pulled me to an upright position,
and I couldn’t catch my breath from the pain. After a few moments, I
returned to my supine position and refused to move.

Near midnight, there was a shift change, and a new nurses’ aide, Yvonne,
became the latest in the long line of people telling me to get moving.

“You’ll feel better if you walk a little,” she said.

“No.”

“You could brush your teeth while I change the bed sheets.”

“No.”

“How come?” she asked, her tone breezy. When I told her what had
happened earlier, she rolled her eyes. “Well, that’s no good. I can teach you
how to get out of bed by yourself. Won’t hurt at all.”

Yvonne put the bed controls in my hands. By alternately raising and
lowering the foot and head of the bed, I could use gravity, bedrails and
my upper body to roll onto my side, pull myself up and slide into a standing
position. “Just stand a minute to get your balance,” she warned. But I was
already walking away. Very slowly. But beaming.

There’s only one reason to comply with healthcare professionals’ instructions:
To facilitate the best outcome. There can be many more reasons not to
comply: Pain, fear, confusion, exhaustion, frustration, despair.

While everyone else had lectured me on why I should obey, Yvonne asked
why I wouldn’t. She listened, devised a plan, and just like that, I went from
non-compliant patient to cheerful collaborator in charge of my own mobility.

This month’s cover story (page 22) is on update on pressure injuries (page 12) — also has
a significant compliance component, because the best pressure-relieving
strategies are only effective if performed properly.

One of my favorite things about this industry is its holistic view on complex
issues such as compliance. Thank goodness for people like you who, upon
seeing non-compliance, ask why and how, and then stop to listen.