Do Nurses know which falls assessment tools to use and how to use them?

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I am a third yr student nurse struggling writting my dissertation on parkinsons disease and falls prevention. I was wondering if anyone has any useful references on nurses using the most appropriate tool and to highlight a deficient in practice to take forward to my change management section.

Thanks :nurse:

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Have you tried Google as I just tried Parkinson's disease and falls and many links came up

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Thank you for your reply- im coming to the end of my tether with this!

I have done that yes, it has given me my primary literature in re: to this, but i need something more in depth as i am now trying to highlight the lack of knowledge that nurses hold in re: to selecting appropriate falls assessment tools for Parkinson's Disease. The PDS (2007) does highlight a tool, but there has been a recent critique of this which i am going to use to construct my argument in my dissertation.

what i am trying to say is that nurses have a deficit in their practice in re: to selecting an appropriate assessment tool for PD patients due to x,y,z and have supporting literature and then that will lead me nicely into my change management and what i would like to change in practice etc....

I really appreciate your reply.

Kim :nurse:

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Every place I've ever worked, my employer has dictated to me (all the nursing staff) which fall assessment tool the facility uses (typically incorporated into the daily nursing paperwork/forms) -- I've never even thought about "selecting" a tool ...

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This is what I am trying to identify through the literature. Every place I have been on placement, your right, the ward manager or even as high up as the trust management dictates which one to use. There is recent research in the Nursing Times,(2009) by Oliver and Healy that state that the use of numerical tools such as the STRATIFY tool (that is promoted in the use of patients with PD) provides a sense of false security as patients who are highlighted as a low risk will fall and patients that are highlighted as a high risk might not during an in-patient stay. It is a very good article and actually admire Oliver as the tools that he reviews are some of his own.

If anyone is interested in reading this article the link is:

http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice-clinical-research/falls-risk-prediction-tools-for-hospital-inpatients-do-they-work/1999146.article

Thank you for your feedback :nurse:

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

The Morse Fall Risk scale is also common.

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