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Recommended Citation
Marx S, Ludy H. Take the lead or fall: Nurse-led fall prevention improves patient outcomes. Value Informed Nursing Practice podium presentation at Empowering Nursing Excellence: Recognizing the Value and Impact of Nurses, Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2023; November 15, 2023; virtual.
Presentation Notes
Value Informed Nursing Practice podium presentation at Empowering Nursing Excellence: Recognizing the Value and Impact of Nurses, Advocate Health Midwest Region Nursing Research & Professional Development Conference 2023; November 15, 2023; virtual.
Abstract
Background
Among older adults (ages 65 years and older), falls are the leading indication of unintentional injury and resulting mortality. The average total cost of an inpatient fall is $62,000 in the United States. Nurses are essential in providing and implementing evidence-based practice interventions to prevent falls and reduce the financial burdens associated with inpatient falls. In 2021, a medical-surgical unit at a community-based hospital had ten total falls.
Method
Nurses identified redundant interventions that failed to improve the unit’s total fall rate. These interventions also led to alarm fatigue and overuse of equipment and resources. Nurses led the implementation of evidence-based practice interventions, which included: purposeful rounding, daily safety huddles, patient and staff education, designating a falls champion to complete case reviews, screening all patients and identifying risk factors, appropriate use of bed alarms, encouraging early mobility, incorporating physical therapy, fall signage outside of rooms, and use of post-fall huddles.
Results
In 2022, the medical-surgical unit had six total falls, representing a 40% reduction in falls compared to the prior year, and had zero patient mortalities related to falls. Unit culture has positively impacted fall prevention and driven cost savings.
Cost Savings
The reduction in total falls corresponds to a potential indirect cost savings of $248,000.
Conclusions
Nurse-led evidence-based practice drives value-informed nursing practice. By identifying redundant care practices and implementing bundled interventions, nurses successfully tailored their practice to reduce the total falls rate and the physical and financial burden of inpatient falls. Fall prevention keeps patients safe, decreases complications and mortality, and improves practice efficiencies. Nurses transformed their practice, leading to empowerment and creating a highly engaged unit culture. Healthcare organizations can reinvest these cost savings to purchase safety equipment, nurse development, and nurse well-being.
Document Type
Oral/Podium Presentation
Publication Date
11-15-2023
Take the lead or fall: Nurse-led fall prevention improves patient outcomes
Background
Among older adults (ages 65 years and older), falls are the leading indication of unintentional injury and resulting mortality. The average total cost of an inpatient fall is $62,000 in the United States. Nurses are essential in providing and implementing evidence-based practice interventions to prevent falls and reduce the financial burdens associated with inpatient falls. In 2021, a medical-surgical unit at a community-based hospital had ten total falls.
Method
Nurses identified redundant interventions that failed to improve the unit’s total fall rate. These interventions also led to alarm fatigue and overuse of equipment and resources. Nurses led the implementation of evidence-based practice interventions, which included: purposeful rounding, daily safety huddles, patient and staff education, designating a falls champion to complete case reviews, screening all patients and identifying risk factors, appropriate use of bed alarms, encouraging early mobility, incorporating physical therapy, fall signage outside of rooms, and use of post-fall huddles.
Results
In 2022, the medical-surgical unit had six total falls, representing a 40% reduction in falls compared to the prior year, and had zero patient mortalities related to falls. Unit culture has positively impacted fall prevention and driven cost savings.
Cost Savings
The reduction in total falls corresponds to a potential indirect cost savings of $248,000.
Conclusions
Nurse-led evidence-based practice drives value-informed nursing practice. By identifying redundant care practices and implementing bundled interventions, nurses successfully tailored their practice to reduce the total falls rate and the physical and financial burden of inpatient falls. Fall prevention keeps patients safe, decreases complications and mortality, and improves practice efficiencies. Nurses transformed their practice, leading to empowerment and creating a highly engaged unit culture. Healthcare organizations can reinvest these cost savings to purchase safety equipment, nurse development, and nurse well-being.
Affiliations
Aurora Medical Center Washington County