Nurse Tech and first patient fall. Worried about being fired.

[guyman123]

I am a nursing student who has a job as a nurse tech. I've been on the job for four months. I'm on the float team and today I was assigned to a neuro medsurg floor. I had a patient who needed to use the restroom so I took her there and closed the door and let her have her privacy. I was called to another room so I told the patient to pull the call lift when she was done. I find out a few minutes later that she pulled the call light, a few seconds before she went to clean herself. As she cleaned herself, she tipped over, hit her head, and was on the floor. She was given Dilaudid 30m prior. They're taking her to do a CAT scan now. I now learned never to leave my bathroom patients alone. So now I have a couple questions.

1. What will happen in regards to this?

2. Will this fall go on my record?

3. I really want to work at this hospital when I become an RN so will this affect my chances of being hired?

4. The most important question: will I be fired?

Thank you in advanced.

Edit: patient was in her 20s

[ComeTogether, LPN]

I agree that some patients aren't appropriate for the restroom and are better off using the BSC. FYI a good way to do this if you must leave them is to put the BSC flush up against the bed and the bedside table in front of them if they are leaners. Its always best to stay with neuro patients if at all possible, but I understand that sometimes if you don't leave the one you may have another fall. We had a policy on my rehab unit to never leave CVA's on the toilet alone, ever. Same with amputees or TBI's. Each time you float to a new unit ask about such policies so that you know.

ALways know what unit you are working on before you start your shift, and always ask if the PT is ok to be left alone if you don't know. If you aren't sure, just stay with them. I would also make a list of all the things you think are important to know about each patient so you can do your job. Dx, barriers, cognition, etc. and ask specifically about each one during report.

Just some advice from someone who has been there, done that. :-)

[merlee]

There certainly needs to be a Fall review committee on your unit, or in the facility.

20 falls this year?? Wow.

Scary.

[lemur00, BSN, RN]

It depends. Reliable patients are left on their own. When I was on neuro we had lots of back surgery pts who were independent. You assess based on history and the pt's condition on that day. If you don't know the pt you can always ask.

I worked as an aide for years before becoming a nurse and had many falls; if I'd been held responsible for all of them I wouldn't have even gotten in to school. We had ones who would fall on purpose for heaven's sake. If you followed procedures you should be okay--learn what you can from it (eg learn the pt condition etc). The only person I know of who lost her job over a fall (and not only because of the fall) was transferring the pt in an unsafe manner while she was still on probation.

The unit should probably be looking at how falls are happening and why though. Like we ended up with a high number of falls for awhile because of the afore mentioned pts who would throw themselves to the floor, which was not preventable. But many falls are.

[Anthony1214]

Hi, Im a cna I work for hospice. My pt fell, I was bathing her but I stop to put the dirty linens inside the bag that was back of me, when she roll over to the other side sliding from bed and falling hitting the head with the night stand. I feel soo worry and sad I even finish bathing her thats why the rails werent up.