I was wondering if anyone would be willing to share some tips on fall prevention. Does your facility use a symbol/sign-on-the-door system? What symbol do you use? Does anyone have any clever ideas for remembering to set a bed alarm? I recently joined my hospital's fall prevention committee and am looking for new ideas as we are trying to overhaul our current fall prevention policy. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
Im working on this as part of a school project, and I came across some cases in which staff were sued for the pt in their charge. Look up lawyers and elderly falls and you'd be surprised. Ultimately, inadequate staffing was the main reasoning , but the nurse still was named in the suit.
Where I am even if a pt is lowered to the ground, it is considered a fall and written up. I guess we are suposed to be able to lift them up.
We've recently stopped using waffle mattresses "just because". Now wound/ostomy has to consult before we place it on the bed. We're much more diligent about Q2 turns so our pressure ulcer rates are still pretty good. We've only been doing this a few months, but falls have decreased a bit (maybe 10%?)
Place our aides as sitters regardless of how few we have. Still doesn't prevent falls. Our falls tend to be the A&O patients who think it's OK to get up despite multiple devices connected and meds on board.
We do all the usual signage/arm band/low bed/bed alarm stuff but the thing that works the best are our video monitors.
There is a small camera about the size of a deck of cards mounted to a rolling pole. It is wireless except for the power cord. If you deem a pt. high risk but there's not quite a need for a sitter, the cameras are awesome.
There is a central monitoring room with one tech whose only job is to watch the monitors. The video is beamed to the monitor and if there are any issues, the tech uses a walkie talkie to tell us what is going on. Everyone on the floor gets the message over the walkies we carry.
The cameras are even better for handsy pt.s to prevent them from pulling at their lines.
When our CNO suggested them, I was like, "Yeah, right! That won't work!" But they do. And they are great.
martymoose, BSN, RN
1,946 Posts
Im working on this as part of a school project, and I came across some cases in which staff were sued for the pt in their charge. Look up lawyers and elderly falls and you'd be surprised. Ultimately, inadequate staffing was the main reasoning , but the nurse still was named in the suit.
Where I am even if a pt is lowered to the ground, it is considered a fall and written up. I guess we are suposed to be able to lift them up.
I hate this job....