Question-falls

talaxandra · May 14, 2005

You're spot on with what to do regarding a fall. If you're at all unsire about when or how to get a patient up off the floor, check with a more expereinced nurse (who will hopefully respond when you buzz for assistance!).

The only other thing I'd caution you about is to avoid going with your instinct, which is to catch someone who's falling - it's the surest way to hurt yourself. By all means guide the patient, to reduce the impact of a fall, but son't try to catch them.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · May 14, 2005

You have the right idea. Always get help to get a patient that has fallen up. After you assess and if the patient is alert enough to tell you if they have any pain, with another staff you can usually assist the patient up to bed, full lift if you have to. Dont forget to notify patients family/POAHC along with the doctor as soon as possible after a fall, day or night.

elkpark · May 14, 2005

You need to familiarize yourself with your facility's nursing policy/procedure on patient falls and be sure that you follow the established policy when you find yourself in that situation.

Re: your second question, response time varies greatly from hospital to hospital and depends on lots of variables. It is perfectly fine for you to contact the HR department after a reasonable amount of time to verify that they actually did receive your info (things do occasionally get lost in the mail ...), and ask about the possibility of scheduling an interview.

leslie :-D · May 14, 2005

if able, find out if they hit their head; check for lacerations, bumps.

check rom x 4 as you're waiting for help.

if they're a&o, ask their name, what day it is, where they are...

one time i had a patient who was a&o x 3....yet laying on the floor she denied pain. yet i noticed that one leg was longer and everted. so i gently lifted and bent the leg until she cried out. i did not feel comfortable transferring her to the bed so my adon transferred her with 1 other person. i still think that was a bad call as the patient was screaming during transfer.

so if you suspect any fxs, personally, i would wait until you get enough help to ensure proper body alignment is maintained; and if it's cervical- never move them at all....you wait for those you have the experience and equipment needed for a safe transfer.

leslie

zacarias, ASN, RN · May 16, 2005

A month ago or so I had a patient fall and it was scary. He was already in the bathroom and I could tell he was changing status (hypotensive) and so I tried to guide him to sit on the toilet as fast as possible but he wouldn't budge. So I knew what was gonna happen so I stood behind him as he just fell! He was 200+ and the IV tore out from the bag as he fell back and all I could think of was, protect the head at all costs so I'm trying to cover his head with my hands and he falls and traps me partially under him with my leg being pinned. As he fell his back also hit me hard and I a black eye for days. He ended up being fine but I think protecting them as much as possible while they're on their way down is critical.

CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN · May 16, 2005

Yep....call for help asap. Assess while on the floor. Stablize if needed. I tend to go overboard and err on the side of caution..never move pts if you feel uneasy or have a bad feeling about the fall (EMT) training comes in to play. I always tell my CNAs to keep them on the floor, they aren't going anywhere and its the safest place for them. Heck...I get them a blanket and pillow if we are waiting for EMS. I've seen a few dislocated hips/ shoulders in my days.

Another thing to remember....don't painic with the blood (if any) Those head lacs bleed like a stuck pig!

Document everything!!