Vital signs

Normal ranges, alarm parameters, and what changes in HR, BP, SpO2, and RR mean for your treatment session.

Lab values

The most relevant labs for therapy — what to look for before you walk in, and which values should give you pause.

Lines, leads, & drains

How to identify common lines and devices, what they’re for, and how to safely work around them during mobility.

Medications

Common ICU drips and drug classes, sedation scales, and what to watch for with vasoactive or sedating medications.

Delirium

What ICU delirium looks like, how it differs from other altered mental states, and therapy’s role in prevention and management.

Mechanical ventilation

Ventilator basics for non-respiratory clinicians — modes, settings, and what to know before mobilizing a vented patient.

Activity Decision Framework

Evidence-based inclusion criteria for therapy in the ICU. What you need to see before starting a session.

Considerations & contraindications

Relative and absolute contraindications to therapy, and how to think through clinical decision-making when the picture is complex.

Chart review

What to look for before you see the patient — a systematic approach to reading an ICU chart efficiently.

Prognostic indicators

How to contextualize a patient’s trajectory and communicate meaningfully about functional prognosis.

What to ask the nurse

The most important questions before and after a session — and how to build a working relationship with ICU nursing.

Setting up for mobility

A practical guide to preparing the patient, the room, and the team for safe mobility in the ICU.