Date of Graduation
12-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Degree Level
Undergraduate
Department
Nursing
Advisor/Mentor
Smith-Blair, Nancy J.
Committee Member/Reader
Sabatini, Lindsey
Committee Member/Second Reader
Holloway, Ginger
Abstract
Background: Patient falls in the hospital have continued to be a major avoidable problem in the acute care hospital setting. These falls can lead to negative patient outcomes as well as an increase in cost for the hospital.
Aim: The aim of this quality improvement project is to determine if an educational intervention and posting of fall prevention posters in the cardiology units impacts the fall rates and fall index.
Setting: The cardiac units of Washington Regional Medical Center.
Participants: The cardiac nursing staff as well as all patients who fell on this floor between the months of April through September during the years of 2013 and 2014.
Methods: A “Hospital Survey on Patient Safety” was completed by staff on the cardiology units to gather baseline knowledge on how nursing staff felt about patient safety overall on their units. Staff education was then implemented on ways to decrease patient falls during mandatory staff meetings on the cardiac units in April 2014. Fall prevention posters were posted in all 60 patient rooms, staff break rooms and bathrooms. Post Huddle Fall Sheets, a report used routinely by the nursing staff, were used to collect data on falls both pre and post implementation of staff education and poster placement. The pre period was from April to September of 2013 and the post period was from April to September of 2014.
Results: Overall implementation of staff education and fall prevention reminder posters had no statistical significance on the incidence of falls. The fall index data showed that the total number of falls decreased on all units, 3 South, West and East, during the month of April after interventions were implemented. Three East had a decrease in falls during all months between April and September; whereas, 3 South and West had no statistical significant decrease in falls.
Conclusion: In summary, more consistent and continuous staff education concerning fall prevention needs to be implemented into the acute care setting. Interventions must be more invasive and multifaceted to make an impact on falls.
Citation
Alexander, L., & Brock, S. (2014). A Quality Improvement Study Concerning the Safety of Patients in the Acute Hospital Setting with Emphasis on Minimizing Patient Falls and Injuries by Implementing Staff Education and Reminders. The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/nursuht/31
