Date of Conferral

5-28-2025

Date of Award

May 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

Summary Falls are one of the leading causes of injury for older patients in homecare settings, affecting patient safety and quality of care. Patient falls contribute to morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. A fall often results in injuries which can be fatal. Over 30% of individuals who are 65 years or older experience falls on an annual basis. In these older adults, the leading cause of death is unintentional falls. Although there are evidence-based strategies for preventing falls, there are still gaps in staff knowledge. The purpose of the DNP project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a staff education program that aimed at improving the knowledge among home care providers on how to prevent falls. A 1-hour fall prevention education program was provided to eight staff members. A pre- and posttest was used to assess for a change in knowledge. A paired t test demonstrated a statistically significant increase in knowledge scores from an average of 65% (SD ±3.7) pretraining to 88% (SD ±2.4) post training. The findings indicated that scores improved after training, which supports the effectiveness of short, structured educational programs in enhancing clinical knowledge. The project's key outcomes included developing and delivering an evidence-based training module and a measurable increase in the knowledge scores of the staff. Implications for nursing practice include the potential for broader implementation of staff training to improve patient safety and reduce fall-related injuries in home care settings. The project supports positive social change by promoting equity in care delivery for older adults, especially in underserved home-based environments. By empowering a diverse frontline staff with fall prevention knowledge, the project contributes to delivering care more safely and inclusively.

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