Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

STOERM E. ANDERSON

Abstract

AbstractPatient safety and fall prevention are crucial for nurses and healthcare workers especially in assisted living facilities considering the age and health status of the patients. Low staff knowledge of fall risk measures in an assisted living facility may have contributed to an increase in the number of falls recorded in the facility by 20% in the last 2 years. This project addressed the questions of whether an education project could increase staff’s level of knowledge on fall risk measures, and whether any improved knowledge would coincide with the number of falls per patient day in the assisted living facility? Adult learning theory and Lewin’s theory of change informed the development of the project, which employed an educational intervention to improve the knowledge and performance of staff. Evidence was generated from data on prior staff knowledge of fall risk factors, educational materials, and use of paper forms in pre-and post-test assessments that identified staff knowledge of risk factors. Group means and proportional differences were examined before and after staff education. Staff knowledge of fall risk measures was statistically significantly increased, and increased knowledge correlated was statistically significantly correlated with fewer falls post-implementation. This project highlights the implications for positive social change given that vulnerable populations often receive care in assisted living contexts. There is a need for high-quality and safety-oriented care because of the danger of adverse patient care outcomes and the economic necessities of providing efficient care that avoids preventable complications. This project may inform efforts in other similar contexts that are seeking to improve care in the same way.

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