title: Implementation of a patient fall prevention program.
abstract: Falls among hospitalized patients are common occurrences and can have detrimental effects on patient outcomes. Identifying high-risk patients and taking measures to prevent patient falls have been successful. The purpose of this project was to decrease the fall rate in adult neuroscience patients. This was accomplished through implementation of a patient fall prevention program. Patients were assessed for risk factors associated with patient falls. Risk factors were identified through the use of the patient's history, nursing data base and patient classification system. Patients with identified risk factors were placed on fall precautions which included interventions specifically designed to prevent patient falls. This project resulted in a decrease in the number of patient falls and increased staff awareness of the risk factors associated with falls among adult neuroscience patients.
authors.affiliation: Shands Hospital, Gainesville, Florida.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guin
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D009493:Neurosurgery; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D010347:Patient Care Planning / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D012307:Risk Factors