Date of Conferral

12-1-2025

Date of Award

December 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Deborah Lewis

Abstract

Summary Falls in health care facilities constitute the most prevalent incidents among all safety-related mishaps. If unaddressed, falls can result in severe consequences and perhaps fatal outcomes for patients. The Doctor of Nursing practice (DNP) project was developed to address the issue of patient falls in a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH). The practice-focused question was: Will implementation of an educational evidence-based staff fall prevention program improve nurses’ knowledge on fall prevention? The 1-hour staff education program was created based on review of recent evidence. Twelve nurses attended the staff education program. A pre- and posttest were used to evaluate knowledge gained. The posttest mean was 87.5 and the pretest mean was 55.8. A normalized learning gain between the pretest and posttest scores of 71.72% indicated that the education program was effective in improving staff knowledge. Recommendations included evidence-based initiatives and annual employee updates on fall prevention strategies in the LTACH. The educational practice change may facilitate positive social change by effectively diminishing both the frequency and consequences of falls. It will boost direct patient outcomes, improve healthcare delivery, bolster broader public health initiatives and result in long-term economic savings and advance health, safety and well-being across many societal strata. This may empower health care staff to mitigate adverse effects related to patient falls. The results of the DNP project underscore the significance of collaborative relationships to develop staff education aimed at reducing falls and integrates diversity and inclusion by catering to the specific requirements of different groups, hence boosting the efficacy of fall prevention measures in nursing.

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