Fall Prevention Interventions

The project studied in this article used evidence-based practice TeamSTEPPS®, which stands for Team strategies and tools to enhance performance and patient safety. TeamSTEPPS® was used to improve teamwork and communication within the hospital setting. TeamSTEPPS® provided the nursing staff with a structured, yet simple way, to identify fall risk factors for each patient and patient-specific interventions. This project was guided by using the FOCUS-PDCA; find, organize, clarify, understand, select, plan, do, check, and act model. The FOCUS-PDCA methodology consists of nine steps that include “find a process to improve, organize a team, clarify current process, understand variations in the current process, select process improvement, plan

(Wilson et al. 2016) Individualizing and specifying fall preventive interventions and strategies for different type of patients based on their fall risk factors are more likely to reduce falls than general interventions used such as signs on their doors (Wilson et al., 2016). The purpose of this study was to examine the perception of nurses regarding the use of fall prevention interventions specific to patients at risk for falls and to implement the use of these fall prevention strategies used to promote these fall prevention practices (Wilson et al., 2016). The fall risk factors in the mobility risk category included gait instability, bilateral lower extremity weakness, assistance needed to get out of bed and/ or walk, and the use of mobility equipment. Some fall prevention interventions used to address these risk factors included ambulation three to four times per day with or without assistance unless contraindicated; referral to physical therapy for assessment, gait, and/or strength training; range of motion; minimizing use of immobilizing equipment and/or assist with ambulation; and use of proper assistive equipment (Wilson et al., 2016). Before this study, nurses were using general fall precautions for these patients at risk for falls and were not using fall prevention interventions specific for patient’s fall risk factors (Wilson et al., 2016). There were major themes and minor themes to go along with each major theme. There was a study before the fall prevention intervention practice that was described as a fall that occurs, either the patient is at a fall risk or the patient passed the fall risk assessment. Action was then taken by implementing general fall prevention practices for these patients that were shown as a risk. Before the study, one example of a general fall prevention practice was “We had