Date
10-13-2023
Department
School of Nursing
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Chair
Vickie Moore
Keywords
fall, fall with injury, Falls TIPS Toolkit, tailored interventions, toolkit, prevention
Disciplines
Nursing
Recommended Citation
Marlett, Janice E., "Implementing an Evidence-Based Toolkit to Impact Falls on a Medical-Surgical Unit" (2023). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 4864.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/4864
Abstract
Falls are common events occurring across the country in health care facilities. As a result, patients may experience chronic pain, functional decline, fear, or disability as a result. Meanwhile, health care organizations face increased cost of care and prolonged patient length of stay. A multifaceted prevention plan offers great potential for organizations to impact fall rates. When used as part of a multifocal approach to care, toolkits can be effective in facilitating evidence use in practice and impacting outcomes. The purpose of this project was to evaluate if the implementation of a falls prevention toolkit impacted the rate of falls and falls with injury within a medical surgical unit. Experimental in nature, this project took place over the course of 3 months. Staff were educated and laminated posters were hung in each patient room. These posters allowed the staff, patient, and family to engage in fall prevention. Falls, falls with injury, staff knowledge, and confidence were measured pre- and post-intervention. While there was an increase in falls, the number of falls with injury remained unchanged. Staff members were assessed before and after the pilot for changes in fall knowledge and confidence. A paired t-test suggested no statistical difference in fall knowledge before and after the initiative (p = .17) or in confidence (p = .59). Mitigating falls and falls with injury within a healthcare setting requires a multifaceted approach to care, and using a toolkit is a proven way to hardwire practices. While the current results did not show significant changes in any of the identified outcomes, continued utilization of this evidence-based strategy may prove beneficial on a larger scale and with adjustments to the educational plan and leverage of the electronic medical record.
