Date of Conferral

11-17-2025

Date of Award

November 2025

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Mattie Burton

Abstract

The identified problem at the project site facility was rising incidences of patient falls, which was attributed to insufficient staff knowledge of evidence-based strategies for preventing falls, including purposeful hourly rounding (PHR). Research has demonstrated that PHR effectively reduces the risk of falls among patients by allowing clinicians to proactively address patient needs. The purpose of this staff education project was to enhance healthcare providers’ knowledge of PHR and its role in fall prevention. The practice-focused question that guided this project was: For staff in a long-term care facility, will training on hourly rounding increase knowledge toward the goal of reducing the rate of falls among older residents? To evaluate the project, I gave pre- and posttest knowledge questionnaires to the participants and used a t test to assess variation in their knowledge following the intervention. All healthcare staff (N = 85) participated in the training and completed both assessments. Results indicated a 40.8% rise in mean scores, from 65.4 to 92.1, following the education sessions. This improvement was statistically significant (t = 19.01, df = 84, p < .001). The project’s outcomes highlight the value of regular training initiatives in strengthening staff knowledge and competencies in evidence-based practices to advance safe, effective, and high-quality patient care. I recommended to leadership that the practice of hourly rounding be established as facility standard. Additionally, the project supports positive social change by promoting patient safety, dignity, and independence, while fostering inclusivity through equal access to training opportunities and reducing healthcare disparities affecting older and vulnerable populations.

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