Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Maria M. Ojeda

Abstract

Fall-reduction programs are frequently ineffective in reducing falls among geriatric patients in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Multicomponent strategies have proved to be effective in reducing these falls. However, these strategies require staff education to ensure their success. The purpose of this project was to support the integration of multicomponent fall prevention strategies into practice by providing staff education focusing on the appropriateness use of hourly rounding and the 4Ps (pain, position, prompted voiding and placement) in addition to bed alarms to prevent falls among geriatric patients in the local LTC facility. The Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-based model was the conceptual model used to guide this project. The practice-focused question was whether the staff educational program developed for this project improved nurses’ knowledge of multicomponent fall prevention strategies. An educational program was developed; the content areas covered were: the effects of falls on the organization and patient, the internal and external risk factors for falls, and multicomponent fall prevention strategies. A quantitative design was used to evaluate program. Pre and post education data was collected using the Fall Staff Survey and descriptive statistics were generated for each question. The findings indicated that after the training session, there was improvement in knowledge for all areas measured using the Fall Staff Survey. Equipping nursing and administrative staff with enough knowledge of fall reduction strategies supports social change by improving patient safety while also improving organizational performance on quality indicators and reducing costs associated with fall-related injuries among geriatric patients in long-term care.

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