Abstract:

Objective To explore the real perception and experience of patients with implanted left ventricular assist device during their first ambulation out of bed，and to provide evidence for interventions in early postoperative rehabilitation exercise for those patients with implanted left ventricular assist device. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was adopted. Through purposive sampling，18 patients with implanted left ventricular assist device at a tertiary Grade A hospital in Nanjing from June 2024 to March 2025 were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews. Content analysis was applied to organize and analyze the interview data. Results Four themes with eight sub-themes were extracted：physiological adaptation experience（physical discomfort，motor dysfunction），device adaptation challenges（sense of device constraint，alarm-related anxiety），psychological adaptation process（fear of death，experience of hope），and support system needs（need for medical staff guidance，need for assistive devices）. Conclusion Patients with implanted left ventricular assist device encounter multiple difficulties and complex emotional experiences during their first ambulation out of bed. Medical staff should actively monitor patients’ psychological changes，offer encouragement and health education，develop standardized procedures for patients’ ambulation out of bed，ensure patients’ safety during activities，and facilitate the early postoperative rehabilitation of patients with implanted left ventricular assist device.

Key words: Left Ventricular Assist Device, First Ambulation out of Bed, Experience, Nursing Care