Background: Intramedullary nailing is a common method of treatment for femoral shaft fractures. Aim: To evaluate impact of nursing rehabilitation protocol on complications and lower extremity function of intramedullary nailing of femoral shaft fractures patients. Research design: quasi-experimental research design. Setting: Trauma unit and orthopedic outpatient clinics at Assiut University Hospital. Sample: A convenient sample of one hundred patients aged 18–75 years old and from both sexes with intramedullary nails was divided into two equal groups (50 for each group). Tools: I, "A structured interview-based femoral shaft intramedullary nailing questionnaire," II, "Postoperative complications assessment questionnaire following femoral intramedullary nailing surgery," and III, "Lower Extremity Functional Scale." Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the study and the control group regarding the occurrence of some complications and the total mean score of the lower extremity functional scale during follow up periods after application of the nursing rehabilitation protocol post-intramedullary nailing (p-value = 0.001**, 0.005**, respectively). Conclusion: Nursing rehabilitation protocol has a positive effect on reducing complications and improving lower extremity function after intramedullary nailing. Recommendations: Rehabilitation protocol is recommended to be an integral part of the preoperative nursing teaching for patients undergoing intramedullary nailing surgery, and a booklet should be available at the trauma unit and orthopedic outpatient clinic as a reference.

Keywords: Complications, Intramedullary Nailing, Lower Extremity Function, Rehabilitation.