What is the first thing you do when you put a fall-risk pt in the bed?

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As nurse what is the first thing you do when you put a pt in the bed that is a fall risk

Specializes in geriatrics.
Just to clarify....I thought side rails up X2 = restraints (or at least I think that's what they taught in nursing school-I'm a recent grad). Not that I don't think it's a good idea, just clarifying that it's kosher :)
Yes side rails can be considered a restraint. It depends on the policy where you work, and the individual resident. Many of our residents have 2 or 3 rails up for safety, because they move around a lot in bed. If the resident rolls out of bed and splits their head open on the concrete floor because no rails were up, we will have bigger issues. Safety is always your first priority.
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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.
As nurse what is the first thing you do when you put a pt in the bed that is a fall risk

I call Housekeeping to get that falls risk bed out of the room and get me a regular bed. I hate beds that are fall risk.

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Specializes in Hospice, LTC, Rehab, Home Health.

All our beds have only half length rails at the head of bed. No rails of any kind at the foot of the bed. 2 half rails at the top is considered a mobility aid not a restraint. Older beds with full rail x2 = restraint.

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Roll belt!! and bed alarm

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In our facility when a pt is considered a fall risk they get red non slip socks, three side rails and a bed alarm. There is also a magnet on the door jam at eye level that says FALL RISK

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In reality: Bed alarm and the non skid socks

In my fantasy realm: Get said patient discharged or put them in a giant bubble.

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Specializes in Cath lab, acute, community.

Lower the bed as low as it will go!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
As nurse what is the first thing you do when you put a pt in the bed that is a fall risk

I would follow the first step that is listed in the facility's Fall Risk protocol.

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This happened to us recently. Lady needed 1 on 1 care and her family abandoned her.

Isn't the facility being paid to take care of that lady? Why the "her family abandoned her". Sorry, but I don't think the family should be doing what the NH is responsible for. I can see you saying that if the family has never been to visit but if you're just saying that because they weren't there 24/7 doing what the nurses in the nursing home should have been doing that's very rude to say.

My Mom is in a NH for Alzheimers and she has fallen two times in the last month-the first time was a hip fracture and the second was a femur fracture and both required surgery. She was a high fall risk yet they refused to put an alarm on her. When she fell the first time she was not assessed for over a day-the reason we got is that her nurse thought the DON had assessed her and the DON thought her nurse had assessed her. The two surgeries have taken a toll on her and unfortunately she is dying.

The passing the buck off to the family doesn't cut it with this family member. I took care of her for 8 years all by myself before I couldn't do it anymore. I almost had 2 nervous breakdowns-I don't think anyone has any idea what it's like to care for someone who is ill 24/7 unless they are a family member who has done it. Your shift only lasts 8 or 12 hours depending on where you work and then someone comes and relieves so you really have no idea what it IS like to take care of someone who is ill 24/7. And I never was paid to do it. So please don't judge family members just because they aren't with their family members at the NH as often as you'd like them to be. You really don't know the whole story and what lead up to them placing their LO in a place like that.

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Position the bed in the lowest position, attach bed alarm, make sure call light is within reach, and (if applicable) have nonskid mats on the floor.

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Specializes in PCCN.

Maybe the poster hadnt meant to be offensive Re:1 to1 care. I know for my facility ( not ltc, but sometimes pts do stay for weeks/months) basically has a minimal float pool- these are prn techs. They don't hire 1:1's . If there are any floats left that arent filling a tech hole,or a suicide watch then what's leftover may be sent for a 1:1. Which I would say is about 1 out of ten times. So, this means, we pull our techs- so- no aide/tech for the floor, or we even have the nurse sit in- which means either the rest of his/her pts are at risk, or the rest of the floor absorbs the balance- which means unsafe ratios.

Let's just say i know of an incident somewhere, and duh- it would have been cheaper for them to have hired a sitter . But since that adds to the direct floor budget- they dont hire them.

Cheapos. And so not fair. You put your loved one in a facility in the hopes they will get taken care of.I'm sorry

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Just to clarify....I thought side rails up X2 = restraints (or at least I think that's what they taught in nursing school-I'm a recent grad). Not that I don't think it's a good idea, just clarifying that it's kosher :)

Removed (somebody already answered)

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