ABSTRACT
HOLLY R. ROGERS: Decreasing patient falls in a medical unit by increasing fall risk assessment tool compliance: A quality improvement project. (Under the direction of DR. KATHERINE SHUE-MCGUFFIN)
Falls have a significant impact on patients physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Many healthcare facilities depend on fall risk prediction tools to help guide prevention efforts. These predictions tools are used to calculate a fall risk score for patients and identify interventions for fall prevention. The prediction tool used at this project site is the Hester Davis Fall Risk Assessment tool.
This project was guided by the PICO question: In a population of nurses on a medical-surgical unit, (P) does improving knowledge of the Hester Davis Fall Risk Assessment tool using in-person education (I), compared to standard education (C), affect the accuracy of fall risk scores, and fall prevention interventions (O) over a period of 12 weeks (T)? An in-person education intervention was conducted, and a pre- and post- self-efficacy survey was administered to the 43 nurse participants. Results using a paired sample t-test showed overall statical improvement in nurse confidence (t = -6.129, p = <.001) and statistically significant improvements for each question. Run charts identified a positive trend in compliance with fall risk scoring and fall prevention intervention implementation. For this quality improvement project in-person education on the Hester Davis Fall Risk Assessment tool was effective and produced an increase in nursing confidence in conducting fall risk assessments, which clinically increased fall risk scoring and prevention intervention compliance.