Citation

Lloyd T. Orthop. Nurs. 2011; 30(4): 249-257.

Affiliation

Virtua Health, Mount Holly, New Jersey.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, National Association of Orthopaedic Nurses)

DOI

10.1097/NOR.0b013e3182247c61

PMID

21799380

Abstract

Prevention of falls is an issue of concern for all hospitalized patients. Certain units, however, may be at higher risk for falls due to patient diagnosis, comorbidities, and other intrinsic factors. Creation of a unit-specific fall-prevention program may be more effective at reducing incidence of falls in the adult orthopaedic inpatient setting. It may also be better valued by staff according to a critical analysis of the literature and staff survey of perceptions. This information was used as a starting point to create a template for a unit-based fall program specifically for high-risk units. The evidence from this analysis could be used to identify high-risk units and adapt existing generic fall-prevention programs to this higher risk population.

Language: en