Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Melissa D. Rouse
Abstract
Older individuals living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) are more prone to falling compared to those living in the community outside of such facilities. The consequences of falls, including severe injuries, impact not only the patients but also their families and health care costs. The primary purpose of this project was to address the need to reduce and prevent falls in LTCFs. The practice gap was the lack of a comprehensive fall prevention program and education for facility staff about this subject. This staff education project was focused on determining if educating RNs and LPNs about fall risk and prevention would improve their knowledge and intent to follow evidence-based fall prevention guidelines in a LTCF. Watson’s theory of caring informed this project with its requirement that nurses orient their practice to ensure patient satisfaction, which is impacted by safety and quality. Lewin’s change model was also used to guide this project. Twelve RNs and eight LPNs completed education program and pre- and postsurveys. Pre- and postsurveys were used to evaluate the nurses’ improvement in knowledge and their intent to follow evidence-based fall prevention guidelines. The results showed an improvement in knowledge from 60% to 95% on the surveys. The nurses reported 100% intent to follow the guidelines after the education was completed. The implications for positive social change include improving safety for patients by increasing the knowledge of nurses, which will result in improved LTCF outcomes and reputation for safety.
Recommended Citation
Omola, Oluwatoyin Adedun, "Fall Prevention Education for Staff in a Long-Term Care Facility" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12499.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12499
