Date of Conferral

2-8-2024

Date of Award

February 2024

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Joan Hahn

Abstract

Patient falls are a significant concern in acute health care institutions, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Nurses play a vital role in patient safety and empowering them with the necessary knowledge and skills is crucial to mitigate the risk of falls. The aim of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to develop and implement an evidence-based staff education program that would improve nurses’ knowledge of fall prevention strategies. To obtain evidence for the project, a comprehensive review of the literature on patient falls, educational interventions, and best practices and guidelines for fall prevention programs was undertaken. This information obtained informed the development of evidence-based educational training tailored to the acute care setting. Knowles’s adult learning theory, which emphasizes the importance of self-directed learning, relevance, and practical application of knowledge, served as the guiding framework for the educational program. The self-directed online training module was implemented over 4 weeks for nursing staff (N = 26) from acute care units. The effectiveness of the training was evaluated through an analysis of staff nurse participants’ pre- and posttest scores on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Tool 2E: Fall Knowledge Test, which focuses on nurses’ knowledge related to best practices in fall prevention strategies. The findings revealed an increase in posttest (M = 88.0; SD = 12.5) scores in comparison to pretest scores (M = 77.0; SD = 22.7). By empowering nurses through education, this DNP project has the potential to improve patient safety in acute care settings and contribute to the body of nursing knowledge by demonstrating the efficacy of evidence-based fall prevention strategies.

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