Date of Conferral

6-28-2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Teresa Verklan

Abstract

A staff education initiative was implemented in an inpatient psychiatric facility in the Southern United States to address the significant practice problem: inadequate knowledge of fall prevention strategies among psychiatric nurses. The identified knowledge gap impairs the nurses’ ability to recognize fall risk factors and apply evidence-based interventions. Psychiatric inpatients are particularly vulnerable to falls, which compromise patient safety, increase health care costs, and contribute to poor outcomes. The project was guided by a practice-focused question addressing whether staff education on evidence-based fall prevention strategies would enhance nurses’ knowledge and reduce fall rates. The purpose of the project was to enhance psychiatric nurses’ knowledge on fall prevention, thereby supporting safe, evidence-based care practices. Fifteen nurses were identified as change champions by the chief nursing officer. Eleven completed both the pre- and postimplementation 2E Fall Knowledge Test. A 7.28% increase in fall prevention knowledge was observed by comparing the average score of pretest and posttest surveys. The test assessed nurses’ understanding of key fall prevention domains, including risk factors, assessment processes, and evidence-based strategies such as medication safety, environmental modifications, and individualized care planning. The findings support staff education as a viable strategy for closing knowledge gaps and improving nursing practice. Key recommendations include the need for ongoing education, the benefit of the change champion model, and the potential to enhance patient safety. The project contributed to positive social change by fostering a culture of safety and promoting equitable care for all patients, regardless of mental health status.

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