Nursing Commons^™

Improving Communication To Reduce Patient Falls In A 48-Bed Medical-Surgical Unit, Christian Gella

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Abstract

Problem: Patient falls has been associated with increased morbidity, mortality and decreased quality of life. The increase in total patient falls for 2018 relative to 2017, and a spike of 10 patient falls for the month of June 2018 from a baseline of 5.3 falls per month has gained greater attention to reduce patient harm from falls while hospitalized. Prevention of falls minimizes patient exposure to the possibility of being injured. Despite efforts to curtail patient falls, improvement in communication is essential to address the safety issues surrounding improving quality of care practices, and consequentially reduce un-reimbursable hospital costs …

Introduction Of Communication Strategies To Decrease Patient Falls In An Acute Rehabilitation Setting, Alicia Joachim

Master's Projects and Capstones

Background: Due to the lack of appropriate fall prevention measures in an acute rehabilitation unit, there has been a notable increase of patient fall occurrences within a 6 month period. The purpose of this practice improvement project was to reduce patient falls within a 36-bed unit, using visual aids and effective communication among nursing staff. The multi-disciplinary members involved licensed nurses, nursing assistants, nursing supervisors, director of nursing, and executive administrator. Methods: The method used to implement this project included a literature search, informational interviews and staff surveys, and prioritization of interventions by the team. Project implementation was guided by …