Date of Conferral
2-9-2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Barbara Barrett
Abstract
Inpatient falls continue to represent a significant nurse-sensitive quality indicator associated with patient injury, extended hospital stays, and increased healthcare costs. Despite the presence of established fall-prevention protocols, inconsistent completion of fall-risk assessments and uneven application of prevention strategies contributed to ongoing fall events at the project site. The practice problem addressed in this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was the lack of consistent staff knowledge and application of evidence-based fall-prevention practices. The purpose of this evidence-based quality improvement project was to implement and evaluate a structured fall-prevention staff education program to increase inpatient staff knowledge related to fall-prevention strategies. The practice-focused question guiding this project asked whether a structured fall-prevention education program increased participants’ knowledge of how to prevent inpatient falls. This project used a quantitative pretest–posttest design. A standardized, evidence-based educational program was delivered to interdisciplinary inpatient staff using a PowerPoint presentation focused on fall-risk assessment, prevention interventions, and communication strategies. Key content areas included consistent use of the Morse Fall Scale, activation of bed and chair alarms, environmental safety checks, purposeful hourly rounding, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Data were collected using a fall-prevention knowledge assessment administered before and after the educational intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze changes in staff knowledge following program implementation. Results demonstrated measurable improvements in staff knowledge across all assessed fall-prevention domains. Posttest scores were consistently higher than pretest scores, indicating increased understanding of evidence-based fall-prevention strategies. The largest gains were observed in alarm use, purposeful rounding, environmental safety measures, and communication of fall risk. These findings suggested that the structured education program was effective in improving staff knowledge and had the potential to support more consistent application of fall-prevention practices in the inpatient setting. The project’s findings support the use of standardized staff education as an effective strategy to address practice gaps and strengthen a culture of safety. Implications for nursing practice include the need for ongoing education, routine competency reinforcement, leadership engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration to sustain fall-prevention efforts. This project supports positive social change by promoting equitable, consistent, and evidence-based fall-prevention practices that enhance patient safety, particularly for vulnerable inpatient populations.
Recommended Citation
Becerra, Jacqueline U., "Development of an Evidence-Based Educational Intervention designed to increase staff knowledge and competence in comprehensive fall-prevention practices" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 19127.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/19127
