Did you know that every year, up to one million patients will fall while hospitalized in the United States? Although some of those falls may be less severe than others, many will sustain serious, life-threatening injuries that put their health at risk while possibly extending their recovery period. Therefore, when working in a hospital environment, nothing is more important than providing the most outstanding level of care to the patients, including preventing hospital falls. By putting a consistent effort into preventing patient falls, your team can enhance these individuals' experience during their stay, prevent injuries, and keep patients healthy while on the road to recovery instead of putting them at risk.
Before preventing falls in hospitals, it's crucial to understand the primary causes of patient falls. Identifying the root cause of these incidents can help you develop a proper plan of action to prevent such accidents from happening to any patient in the first place. Some of the most common causes include:
Age and Current Health Conditions - Aging adults and patients with physical or cognitive impairments typically have a greater risk of falling due to weakened muscles or difficulty balancing themselves when standing without assistance.
Daily Medications - In many instances, a patient's specific medications, such as sedatives or hypnotics, can increase their risk of falling by causing them to experience dizziness and confusion.
Hazardous Conditions - Recently mopped floors, spills, and uneven ground inside a hospital room are all dangerous conditions that can increase a patient's chances of falling and getting injured.
Lack of Mobility Aids - Some patients need mobility aids from the minute they get up from the hospital bed. If these aids aren't available to them and they need to get up for any reason, they may attempt to do so and fall, sustaining an injury.
Understanding these and other causes of patient falls will help nursing leaders and medical professionals take proactive measures to protect patients and prevent falls.
How to Start Preventing Patient Falls in the Hospital Environment
Preventing patient falls in the hospital leads to better experiences for patients, prevents serious injuries, and can protect the hospital from potential lawsuits. Nurse leaders and the team of medical staff assisting patients should take the following measures to achieve better outcomes.
Keep Handrails in Every Patient's Room
Handrails in hospital rooms are one of the essential safety features. These fixtures can prevent patient falls and injuries, enabling individuals to have something solid and reliable to hold onto when getting out of bed or moving around the room, especially if they need to use the bathroom and are unable to hold it until someone comes into the room to check on them. It's best to have these handrails installed in multiple areas, including by the bed, in the bathroom, and against the wall, so patients can get out of bed if necessary and hold on to one of the rails while navigating their way through the room.
Put Brakes on the Hospital Beds
All hospital beds should have brakes attached to them. Once a patient occupies the room, those brakes should be set to hold the bed in place, keeping it from sliding around when the patient tosses, turns, or even attempts to get out of the hospital bed for any reason. Without reliable, sturdy brakes, the bed would move around too much, putting patients at risk of slipping and getting hurt when attempting to get up to stretch or use the bathroom.
Provide Non-Slip Socks to Patients
Every patient, whether they're considered at risk of falling or not, should have non-slip socks. It's common for hospital floors to feel slippery, especially if they've recently been mopped. However, if the floors are even the slightest bit slippery, a patient has a greater risk of falling from the moment they step off the bed. Therefore, nursing leaders and medical providers need to supply non-slip socks to every patient, ensuring they wear them throughout their stay for safety purposes.
Have a Medical Alert Button Available for Patients to Use
Patients should be able to page a nurse with a simple press of a button. When patients don't have access to an alert button, they're more likely to attempt to get out of the hospital bed independently, even if they were told not to do so because of the risks. All hospitals should have a system that allows patients to page the nurses as often as needed, whether they need assistance getting up to use the bathroom, ask a question, or request something specific, such as a drink or ice.
Use Fall Risk Bracelets
Patients deemed at risk of falling, such as the elderly, those with mobility issues, and patients on medication should have a red bracelet around their wrist to alert the medical team that they're a fall risk. If team members aren't aware of a patient's condition, they may assume it's okay for the patient to get out of bed on their own to use the restroom when that might not be the case. If there is a lack of communication between employees, these bracelets will serve a direct purpose, ensuring everyone knows which patients need additional support and assistance with getting up, walking, and moving around.
Develop a Fall Prevention Program for At-Risk Patients
Nurse leaders should prioritize developing a fall prevention program/plan to keep patients comfortable while protecting them from falls. The program should include a list of ways to mitigate risks and detail the protocol team members should follow to assist patients while preventing falls from happening throughout the hospital building.
Patient falls are a growing issue in the United States, with thousands of patients falling and getting hurt while hospitalized. These falls can cause additional injuries to those already in the hospital because of their poor health. The key to preventing such potentially serious accidents is to understand the general causes of patient falls and then create the most comprehensive fall prevention plan to provide a safer and more comfortable environment for everyone who stays at the hospital.
Comments