Background and Significance of Problem.
This paper will provide an outline to reduce falls by implementing education on the proper utilization of bed and chair alarms, and adequate communication between nurses and certified nursing assistants, rather than lack of education regarding fall tools and not utilizing standardized safety tools in a postoperative orthopedic surgical unit, where the fall rate have increased recently. To prevent patient injury and decrease falls nurses need to communicate with CNA’s at the beginning of their shift and give reports on high fall risk patients and the proper utilization of bed and chair alarm. Also, nurses must assess risks and act accordingly. Most falls occur in the patient’s room while attempting to …show more content…
Nurses need to identify patients at risk for falls by assessing them and providing them with the yellow fall risk bracelet. The orthopedic unit has many patients with mobility issues and needs assistance with care. Therefore, this paper is going to focus on assessment and communication. Nurses assess the patient fall risk by using the fall risk assessment tool; however, they are not always implementing the protocol. A patient who is post-op or a new admission is automatically at risk for a fall for twenty-four hours. Most of the time, these patients do not get the fall risk kit; for the first twenty-four hours, these patients always score as at risk for fall when the fall assessment is completed, but nurses tend to ignore it, especially with younger patients. Even if the patient is young, the fall protocol needs to be established because, for the first twenty-four hours, the patient might react to medication that can cause cognitive impairment, or there may be a change in acuity of their illness or physical status, which will lead to safety issues. The fall assessment tool is essential because it ensures clinical decision-making, facilitates communication between providers and helps in the creation of the care plan. Other strategies to consider in enhancing awareness are to be consistent in filling out the nurse-to-CNA communication flow sheet and to report risk factors at change of shift and safety
This paper will provide an outline to reduce falls by implementing education on the proper utilization of bed and chair alarms, and adequate communication between nurses and certified nursing assistants, rather than lack of education regarding fall tools and not utilizing standardized safety tools in a postoperative orthopedic surgical unit, where the fall rate have increased recently. To prevent patient injury and decrease falls nurses need to communicate with CNA’s at the beginning of their shift and give reports on high fall risk patients and the proper utilization of bed and chair alarm. Also, nurses must assess risks and act accordingly. Most falls occur in the patient’s room while attempting to …show more content…
Nurses need to identify patients at risk for falls by assessing them and providing them with the yellow fall risk bracelet. The orthopedic unit has many patients with mobility issues and needs assistance with care. Therefore, this paper is going to focus on assessment and communication. Nurses assess the patient fall risk by using the fall risk assessment tool; however, they are not always implementing the protocol. A patient who is post-op or a new admission is automatically at risk for a fall for twenty-four hours. Most of the time, these patients do not get the fall risk kit; for the first twenty-four hours, these patients always score as at risk for fall when the fall assessment is completed, but nurses tend to ignore it, especially with younger patients. Even if the patient is young, the fall protocol needs to be established because, for the first twenty-four hours, the patient might react to medication that can cause cognitive impairment, or there may be a change in acuity of their illness or physical status, which will lead to safety issues. The fall assessment tool is essential because it ensures clinical decision-making, facilitates communication between providers and helps in the creation of the care plan. Other strategies to consider in enhancing awareness are to be consistent in filling out the nurse-to-CNA communication flow sheet and to report risk factors at change of shift and safety