Hospital falls are a problem for patients, families, nursing staff and institutions. Reporting fall rates and associated risk factors is an important part of a quality improvement initiative. Fall information provided for the NDNQI report is rich data. However, data alone cannot improve quality unless an action plan is developed, interventions implemented, and programs evaluated. Since 2004, prompted by the submission of NDNQI reports, a falls database was created at one community medical center. An analysis of information collected for the database prompted an intensive program to evaluate, plan for, and intervene on behalf of patients at risk.

This session describes twelve strategies implemented on the medical-surgical and intensive care units of a community hospital which significantly decreased the incidence of patient falls over an 18 month period from January 2005 through July 2006. A chronology of strategy implementation and resultant effects on fall rate will be presented. Strategies included staff education and reporting, family education and patient awareness. Unique programs such as Peer Safety Rounds, Fall Awareness Day and participation in a statewide Fall Prevention Task Force will be presented. As a result of these strategies an initial fall rate of 10.73 per 1000 patient days has dropped to 3.11 per 1000 patient days.

Following this session the participant will be able to describe two strategies to decrease fall rates that can be implemented at their institution and discuss educational programs that will increase staff nurse, patient and family awareness of fall risk. Examples of strategies will be made available to participants. With fall risk tools becoming widely available and used, it is vital that strategies to reduce risk are implemented. It is only by reducing risk will patient safety be accomplished.