What does "ambulation" mean in a healthcare setting?

Ambulation in a healthcare setting specifically refers to the act of assisting a patient to walk. This term encompasses not just the physical act of walking, but also the support and guidance provided to a patient during this activity, ensuring their safety and mobility. Facilitating ambulation is important in patient care as it helps promote circulation, prevent complications from immobility, and enhance overall physical health.

While the other choices involve aspects of patient care related to mobility, they do not specifically define ambulation. Providing bed rest does not encourage mobility, administering a mobility aid, such as a walker or cane, is a related assistive action but does not alone encompass the process of walking, and performing range of motion exercises pertains to joint flexibility rather than directly assisting a patient to walk. Thus, the correct answer highlights the active process of guiding a patient in ambulation.