Evidence-Based Benefits of Fall Safety Agreements in an Academic Medical Center

Purpose:
The purpose of this poster is to describe the results of a study that looked at the relationship between the presence of a fall safety agreement and injury rates of adult patients and the initiatives that were taken to successfully institute a fall safety agreement in an academic medical center

Significance:
Significance:
A significant relationship was found between fall safety agreement and injury severity: more falls resulted in injuries among patients with no fall safety agreement compared to those with a fall safety agreement (X2 (2, 608) = 6.508, p=.039).

Strategy and Implementation:
The research was conducted from a secondary data analysis of an existing falls data base from 2011-2012. The database consisted of patients, 18 and above, in an an academic medical center, who experienced a fall during this timeframe.

Evaluation:
Patients who have a fall safety agreement are less likely to fall and be injured.

Implications for Practice:
Fall education that is presented to patients and families has been proven to help decrease the amount of falls and accompanying injuries. Nurses can be innovative and creative when educating patients about falls.