HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

Fall Prevention at Rehabilitation Center

Introduction: Falls are common incidents among hospitalized patients and represent a key health problem within the rehabilitation setting. Falls within hospitals are serious adverse events that lead to injury, lengthy hospital stays and augmented costs among patients. The majority of patient falls is not actual accidents and is unavoidable consequences of old age, but is the outcome of a lethal conspiracy of numerous intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. Therefore, it is important to develop to gather comprehensive information about the risk factors of falling among patients for the purpose of designing and implementing preventive strategies (Najafpour et al; 2019) HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay. The purpose of the paper is to create an educational program that supports the implementation of patient risk management strategies at a rehabilitation center.

Rationale: Fall prevention entails managing the underlying fall risk factors of a patient. Risk assessments are the foundation of a falls prevention program since it permits for more efficient utilization of resources along with focusing the attention of a patient’s team care when the patient is at an increased risk of falling. According to Gu et al (2016), a call prevention program is likely to be effectively implemented and maintained when it is compatible with an organization’s priorities and considers patients’ needs. Such a risk management strategy is lacking within the rehabilitation center’s current risk management plan.

Implementation of a fall risk management strategy will enable the organization to better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards. Several local, state and federal government agencies require healthcare organizations to have programs designed to prevent patient falls and resultant fall injuries. As Quigley and White (2013) indicate, the joint commission mandates certified healthcare organizations to undertake fall risk assessments for admitted patients to recognize the risk of patients for falls for them to implement prevention measures into the care plan. Additionally, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identifies that falls can be reasonably averted utilizing evidence-based guidelines. and does not cover care costs as a result of an inpatient falls if the falls are avertable by the organization

Support: It is projected that 700, 000 to one million patients fall in United States hospitals every year. Fall-related injuries can result in an extended stay at the hospital by six days with the cost of care averaging 13, 316 dollars per incident. As a result of a large number of factors that contribute to patient falls, the majority of fall reduction and prevention programs have implemented several strategies like improving the process of fall risk assessment, improving communication among workers concerning fall risk status and improving patient and staff education (Weberg et al; 2017).

The patient fall data is a demonstration that it is the fall risk management strategy that falls under the organization’s legal responsibility to provide a safe health care facility and work environment. Weberg et al (2017) claim that nurses have the primary responsibility of assessing, intervening and documenting fall prevention as a portion of their process of care planning, while organizations have the responsibility of executing a fall prevention program that entails monitoring, collaboration, and communication.

Implementation: There are five steps to implement a fall prevention program in the rehabilitation center. The initial step will include developing a plan for implementation of the program by obtaining support from the administration, including funding for the program. The second step is to undertake an environmental safety check on every unit to ensure the safety of the environment. The third step is to gather data on the figure of patient falls, indicating the figure of falls with injuries. The next step will involve setting up a monitoring system and developing a system for recording fall scores of a patient in the patient’s chart. The final step is to train staff to identify patients that are prone to fall and a way of recognizing fall prevention strategies.

Challenges: Obstacles that the health care organization may face in executing a fall risk management program include, insufficient assessment of risk, failure of communication of compliance with safety practice, problematic physical environments and inadequate staff training. These obstacles can be overcome by having a training program that will educate patients, members of their family and patients on the risk factors responsible for falls and specific modifications that can avert these falls. Education will assist patients, family members, and staff understands things that contribute to falls so that they will appreciate the significance of the interventions the organization wants to implement.

Evaluation: My plan to assess if the fall prevention program is successful will include the selection of an interdisciplinary assessment team that will collect and analyze data on patients who at remarkably high risk or falling or fall repeatedly. The team will also periodically review fall reports and focus particularly on institutional patterns. As suggested by Spirgiene et al (2013), ensuring the effectiveness of a fall prevention program include gathering statistics after the program implementation and subsequent analysis of data. The program should be reviewed annually, updated all through the year and data shared among staff.

Opportunities: the organization should consider conducting additional risk management improvements in adjacent areas such as hallways and waiting rooms moving forward. While not directly connected with the intrinsic risk for patient falls, the general environment in hallways and waiting rooms must be assessed to ensure that they are free of obstacles and well lit. According to Phelan et al (2015), the aim of environmental assessment is to recognize hazardous conditions within a facility or homes, such as inappropriate assistive devices, obstacles in pathways, slippery surfaces and inadequate lighting. In addition, factors like furniture height and positioning could be addressed.

References

Quigley, P., & White, S. (2013). Hospital-Based Fall Program Measurement and Improvement in High Reliability Organizations. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 18(2), Manuscript 5.

Gu, Y., Balcaen, K., Ni, Y., & Goffin, J. (2016). Review on Prevention of falls in hospital settings. Chinese Nursing Research, 3(1), 7-10.

Najafpour, Z., Godarzi, Z., Arab, M., & Yaseri, M. (2019). Risk Factors for Falls in Hospital In-Patients: A Prospective Nested Case Control Study. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 8(5), 300-306.

Phelan, E., Mahoney, J., Voit, J., & Stevens, J. (2015). Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in Primary Care Settings. Medical Clinics of North America, 99(2), 281-293.

Spirgiene, L., Bosch-Leertouwer, H., & Watson, M et al. (2013). Improving patient safety: implementation of falls prevention strategy in hospital. Gerontologija, 14(4), 235-242.

Weberg, D., Porter-O’Grady, & Malloch, K. (2017). Leadership for Evidence-Based Innovation in Nursing and Health Professions. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One: Outline of Topic

The purpose of this assignment is to create an educational program that supports the implementation of risk management strategies in a health care organization.

In this assignment, you will develop an outline for an “in‐service”‐style educational risk management program for employees of a particular health care organization that will then form the basis for a PowerPoint presentation in Topic 5. Select your topic for this educational session from one of the proposed recommendations or changes you suggested in the Risk Management Program Analysis – Part One assignment to enhance, improve, or secure compliance standards in your chosen risk management plan example.

Create a 500‐750-word comprehensive outline that communicates the following about your chosen topic:

Introduction: Identify the risk management topic you have chosen to address and why it is important within your health care sector.
Rationale: Illustrate how this risk management strategy is lacking within your selected organization’s current risk management plan and explain how its implementation will better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards.
Support: Provide data that indicate the need for this proposed risk management initiative and demonstrate how it falls under the organization’s legal responsibility to provide a safe health care facility and work environment.
Implementation: Describe the steps to implement the proposed strategy in your selected health care organization.
Challenges: Predict obstacles the health care organization may face in executing this risk management strategy and propose solutions to navigate or preempt these potentially difficult outcomes.
Evaluation: Outline your plan to evaluate the success of the proposed risk management program and how well it meets the organization’s short-term, long-term, and end goals.
Opportunities: Recommend additional risk management improvements in adjacent areas of influence that the organization could or should address moving forward.

Course Code	Class Code	Assignment Title	Total Points
HLT-308V	HLT-308V-O500	Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One: Outline of Topic	130.0

Criteria	Percentage	1: Unsatisfactory (0.00%)	2: Less Than Satisfactory (65.00%)	3: Satisfactory (75.00%)	4: Good (85.00%)	5: Excellent (100.00%)
% Scaling	100.0%
Introduction	10.0%	An introduction is not included.	An introduction is present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	An introduction is present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	An introduction is incorporated in full. The submission encompasses essential details and provides appropriate support as to why greater attention to this risk management strategy is needed.	An introduction is comprehensive. The submission incorporates analysis of supporting evidence as to why increased attention to the proposed risk management strategy is needed and provides specific examples of why it is important within the specified health care sector. Level of detail is appropriate.

Rationale	10.0%	A rationale is not included.	A rationale is partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	A rationale is present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	A rationale is described in full. The submission encompasses essential details as to how the proposed risk management strategy is lacking in the selected plan and provides appropriate support for how its implementation will better meet compliance standards.	A rationale is comprehensive. The submission provides specific examples of where the proposed risk management strategy is lacking in the selected plan and provides insightful supporting evidence as to how its implementation will better meet compliance standards. Level of detail is appropriate.

Support	10.0%	Support data are not included.	Support data are partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Support data are present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	Support data are described in full. The submission provides an appropriate explanation of how the data indicate a need for the proposed risk management initiative.	Support data are comprehensive. The submission incorporates an analysis of how the data indicate a need for the proposed risk management initiative. Level of detail is appropriate.

Implementation	10.0%	Implementation strategies are not included.	Implementation strategies are partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Implementation strategies are present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	Implementation strategies are described in full. The submission encompasses essential details and provides appropriate support as to how the risk management initiative will be incorporated into the selected health care organization.	Implementation strategies are comprehensive. The submission provides specific actionable steps by which the selected health care organization can implement the proposed risk management initiative. Level of detail is appropriate.

Challenges	10.0%	Possible challenges are not included.	Possible challenges are partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Possible challenges are present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	Possible challenges to the risk management implementation are described in full. The submission also describes possible solutions to the predicted obstacles.	Possible challenges to the risk management implementation are comprehensive. The submission provides specific relevant examples of solutions for navigating or preempting predicted obstacles. Level of detail is appropriate.

Evaluation	10.0%	Evaluation strategies are not included.	Evaluation strategies are partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Evaluation strategies are present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	Evaluation strategies are described in full. The submission explains how the evaluation plan will assess alignment with the overall goals of the risk management program.	Evaluation strategies are comprehensive. The submission provides specific examples of how the evaluation plan will assess alignment with the short-term, long-term, and end goals of the risk management program. Level of detail is appropriate.

Opportunities	15.0%	Additional risk management opportunities are not included.	Additional risk management opportunities are partially incorporated, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Additional risk management opportunities are present, but minimal detail or support is provided for one or more components.	Additional risk management opportunities are described in full, with appropriate support for the recommended changes.	Additional risk management opportunities are described comprehensively, with detailed support for the recommended changes. Level of detail is appropriate.

Thesis Development and Purpose	5.0%	Paper lacks any discernible overall purpose or organizing claim.	Thesis is insufficiently developed or vague. Purpose is not clear.	Thesis is apparent and appropriate to purpose.	Thesis is clear and forecasts the development of the paper. Thesis is descriptive and reflective of the arguments and appropriate to the purpose.	Thesis is comprehensive and contains the essence of the paper. Thesis statement makes the purpose of the paper clear.

Argument Logic and Construction	5.0%	Statement of purpose is not justified by the conclusion. The conclusion does not support the claim made. Argument is incoherent and uses noncredible sources.	Sufficient justification of claims is lacking. Argument lacks consistent unity. There are obvious flaws in the logic. Some sources have questionable credibility.	Argument is orderly but may have a few inconsistencies. The argument presents minimal justification of claims. Argument logically, but not thoroughly, supports the purpose. Sources used are credible. Introduction and conclusion bracket the thesis.	Argument shows logical progression. Techniques of argumentation are evident. There is a smooth progression of claims from introduction to conclusion. Most sources are authoritative.	Clear and convincing argument presents a persuasive claim in a distinctive and compelling manner. All sources are authoritative.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, and language use)	5.0%	Surface errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning. Inappropriate word choice or sentence construction is employed.	Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader. Inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. Sentence structure is correct but not varied.	Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader. Correct and varied sentence structure and audience-appropriate language are employed.	Prose is largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present. The writer uses a variety of effective sentence structures and figures of speech.	The writer is clearly in command of standard, written, academic English.

Paper Format (use of appropriate style for the major and assignment)	5.0%	Template is not used appropriately, or documentation format is rarely followed correctly.	Appropriate template is used, but some elements are missing or mistaken. A lack of control with formatting is apparent.	Appropriate template is used. Formatting is correct, although some minor errors may be present.	Appropriate template is fully used. There are virtually no errors in formatting style.	All format elements are correct.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style	5.0%	Sources are not documented.	Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. Few outside sources were used to support the assignment. Limited research is apparent. The information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. Research and citations are adequate regarding source, number, and rigor of resources selected. Sources are standard in relevance, quality of outside sources, or timeliness.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Research and citations are timely and relevant, and address all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.	Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error. Research and citations are supportive of the rationale presented. Sources are distinctive. Addresses all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.

Total Weightage	100%

Educational Program on Risk Management Part Two – Slide Presentation

The purpose of this assignment is to create an educational risk management presentation.

Building upon the outline for an educational session you created in the Educational Program on Risk Management Part One: Outline of Topic 2 assignment, develop a 12-15 slide PowerPoint presentation that expands in greater detail on how and why your organization should implement your proposed risk management strategy. Incorporate any instructor feedback from the Topic 2 assignment into this presentation and include talking points in the speaker notes section of each slide.

Keep in mind that the PowerPoint is meant to serve as a visual aide to bolster your presentation and is intended to highlight main ideas and key points. Do not use dense blocks of text or more than 7 bullet points of text per slide. However, you may include supplementary images, graphs, and data where relevant.

To successfully complete this assignment, include the following sections as per your outline from Topic 2, though you may include any additional sections as needed:

Introduction
Rationale
Support
Implementation
Challenges
Evaluation
Opportunities

You are required to support your statements with a minimum of six citations from appropriate credible sources.

Course Code	Class Code	Assignment Title	Total Points
HLT-308V	HLT-308V-O500	Educational Program on Risk Management Part Two – Slide Presentation	200.0

Criteria	Percentage	1: Unsatisfactory (0.00%)	2: Less Than Satisfactory (65.00%)	3: Satisfactory (75.00%)	4: Good (85.00%)	5: Excellent (100.00%)
% Scaling	100.0%
Introduction	10.0%	Introduction slides are not included.	Introduction slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Introduction slides provide minimal detail or support.	Introduction slides provide appropriate support as to why greater attention to this risk management strategy is needed.	Introduction slides are informative and thorough in explaining why increased attention to the proposed risk management strategy is needed. Specific examples are provided where appropriate.

Rationale	10.0%	Rationale slides are not included.	Rationale slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Rationale slides provide minimal detail or support.	Rationale slides provide appropriate support as to how the proposed risk management strategy is lacking in the selected plan and how its implementation will better meet compliance standards.	Rationale slides are informative and thorough in explaining why the proposed risk management strategy is lacking in the selected plan. Specific examples are provided as to how its implementation will better meet compliance standards.

Support	10.0%	Support data slides are not included.	Support data slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Support data slides provide minimal detail or support.	Support data slides provide an appropriate explanation of how the data indicate a need for the proposed risk management initiative.	Support data slides are informative and thorough in showing how the data indicate a need for the proposed risk management initiative. Specific examples are provided where appropriate.

Implementation	10.0%	Implementation slides are not included.	Implementation slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Implementation slides provide minimal detail or support.	Implementation slides provide appropriate support for how the risk management initiative will be incorporated into the selected health care organization.	Implementation slides are informative and thorough in explaining the specific actionable steps by which the selected health care organization can implement the proposed risk management initiative.

Challenges	10.0%	Challenges slides are not included.	Challenges slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Challenges slides provide minimal detail or support.	Challenges slides provide appropriate rationale for potential obstacles to the risk management implementation and propose possible solutions.	Challenges slides are informative and thorough in explaining potential obstacles to the risk management implementation. Slides also provide specific examples of solutions for navigating or preempting predicted obstacles.

Evaluation Strategy	10.0%	Evaluation strategy slides are not included.	Evaluation strategy slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Evaluation strategy slides provide minimal detail or support.	Evaluation strategy slides provide an appropriate explanation of how the evaluation plan will assess alignment with the overall goals of the risk management program.	Evaluation strategy slides are informative and thorough in providing specific examples of how the evaluation plan will assess alignment with the short-term, long-term, and end goals of the risk management program.

Opportunities	10.0%	Opportunities slides are not included.	Opportunities slides are present, but the information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Opportunities slides provide minimal detail or support.	Opportunities slides provide an appropriate explanation of additional risk management improvements along with support for the recommended changes.	Opportunities slides are informative and thorough in providing additional risk management improvements along with detailed support for the recommended changes.

Incorporation of Instructor Feedback From Previous Assignment	5.0%	Incorporation of instructor feedback from previous assignment is not present.	Incorporation of instructor feedback from previous assignment is insufficiently present.	Incorporation of instructor feedback from previous assignment is perfunctory.	Incorporation of instructor feedback from previous assignment is adequate.	Incorporation of instructor feedback from previous assignment is comprehensive.

Presentation of Content	5.0%	The content lacks a clear point of view and logical sequence of information. Includes little persuasive information. Sequencing of ideas is unclear.	The content is vague in conveying a point of view and does not create a strong sense of purpose. Includes some persuasive information.	The presentation slides are generally competent, but ideas may show some inconsistency in organization or in their relationships to each other.	The content is written with a logical progression of ideas and supporting information exhibiting a unity, coherence, and cohesiveness. Includes persuasive information from reliable sources.	The content is written clearly and concisely. Ideas universally progress and relate to each other. The project includes motivating questions and advanced organizers. The project gives the audience a clear sense of the main idea.

Layout HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay	5.0%	The layout is cluttered, confusing, and does not use spacing, headings, and subheadings to enhance the readability. The text is extremely difficult to read with long blocks of text, small point size for fonts, and inappropriate contrasting colors. Poor use of headings, subheadings, indentations, or bold formatting is evident.	The layout shows some structure but appears cluttered and busy or distracting with large gaps of white space or a distracting background. Overall readability is difficult due to lengthy paragraphs, too many different fonts, dark or busy background, overuse of bold, or lack of appropriate indentations of text.	The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately. Sometimes the fonts are easy to read, but in a few places the use of fonts, italics, bold, long paragraphs, color, or busy background detracts and does not enhance readability.	The layout background and text complement each other and enable the content to be easily read. The fonts are easy to read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.	The layout is visually pleasing and contributes to the overall message with appropriate use of headings, subheadings, and white space. Text is appropriate in length for the target audience and to the point. The background and colors enhance the readability of the text.

Language Use and Audience Awareness (includes sentence construction, word choice, etc.)	5.0%	Inappropriate word choice and lack of variety in language use are evident. Writer appears to be unaware of audience. Use of primer prose indicates writer either does not apply figures of speech or uses them inappropriately.	Some distracting inconsistencies in language choice (register) or word choice are present. The writer exhibits some lack of control in using figures of speech appropriately.	Language is appropriate to the targeted audience for the most part.	The writer is clearly aware of audience, uses a variety of appropriate vocabulary for the targeted audience, and uses figures of speech to communicate clearly.	The writer uses a variety of sentence constructions, figures of speech, and word choice in distinctive and creative ways that are appropriate to purpose, discipline, and scope.

Mechanics of Writing (includes spelling, punctuation, grammar, language use)	5.0%	Slide errors are pervasive enough that they impede communication of meaning.	Frequent and repetitive mechanical errors distract the reader.	Some mechanical errors or typos are present, but they are not overly distracting to the reader.	Slides are largely free of mechanical errors, although a few may be present.	Writer is clearly in control of standard, written, academic English.

Documentation of Sources (citations, footnotes, references, bibliography, etc., as appropriate to assignment and style)	5.0%	Sources are not documented.	Documentation of sources is inconsistent or incorrect, as appropriate to assignment and style, with numerous formatting errors. Few outside sources were used to support the assignment. Limited research is apparent. The information provided is incomplete, inaccurate, or otherwise deficient.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, although some formatting errors may be present. Research and citations are adequate regarding source, number, and rigor of resources selected. Sources are standard in relevance, quality of outside sources, or timeliness.	Sources are documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is mostly correct. Research and citations are timely and relevant, and address all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.	Sources are completely and correctly documented, as appropriate to assignment and style, and format is free of error. Research and citations are supportive of the rationale presented. Sources are distinctive and addresses all of the issues stated in the assignment criteria.

Total Weightage	100%

Educational Program on Risk Management

Introduction

Fall rate high among inpatients & rehabilitation settings

Adverse events associated with falls:

Injuries

Lengthy hospital stays

Increased healthcare costs

Patient falls avoidable

Purpose:

To create an educational program that supports the implementation of patient risk management strategies at a rehabilitation center HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

Falls are common among inpatients and especially within the rehabilitation settings. Falls are normally associated with adverse events such as serious injuries, increased length of hospital stay, and increased healthcare costs. Therefore, it is necessary to address falls and implement appropriate preventative measures because the majority of patient falls are preventable. Identifying the risk factors for falls among patients is very important in preventing falls (Najafpour et al; 2019). Therefore, this presentation presents an educational program that supports the implementation of patient risk management strategies at a rehabilitation center.

Rationale

Fall prevention involves managing risk factors

Risk assessment:

Backbone of falls prevention programs

Allows efficient utilization of resources

Allows individualized care

A fall prevention program should be compatible with:

uPatient needs

uOrganizational priorities

uThe rehabilitation center lacks an effective risk management plan

Fall prevent involves managing the primary risks factors for falls among patients. Accordingly, fall risk assessment forms the foundation of fall prevention programs because it allows provision of individualized patient care in regard to preventing falls and also allows efficient utilization of resources. A fall prevention program should focus on the patient needs and be well-suited to the organizational priorities (Gu et al; 2016). The rehabilitation center lacks such a risk management program and hence this provides the rationale for this education program to support implementation of a fall risk management program. HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

Rationale Cont.

uA fall risk management program will enable the organization:

uTo better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards

uHealthcare organizations required to have fall prevention programs

uJoint commission mandates healthcare organizations:

uTo undertake fall risk assessments for inpatients

uTo identify risk of patients for falls & integrate into the care plan

uCenter for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

uUse of evidence-based guidelines to prevent falls

uDoes not cover care costs for preventable inpatient falls

Implementation of a fall risk management strategy will enable the organization to better meet local, state, and federal compliance standards. This is because several local, state and federal government agencies require healthcare organizations to have programs designed to prevent patient falls and resultant fall injuries. For example, the joint commission mandates certified healthcare organizations to undertake fall risk assessments for admitted patients to recognize the risk of patients for falls for them to implement prevention measures into the care plan (Quigley and White (2013). Similarly, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommends healthcare organizations to use evidence-based guidelines does not cover care costs as a result of an inpatient falls if the falls are preventable by the organization. HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

Support

u700, 000-1,000, 000 patient falls occur in US hospitals annually

uFall-related injuries can lead to:

uIncreasing hospital stay by 6-days

uCare cost $13, 316 per fall event

uTherefore, fall prevention/reduction strategies important

uFall prevention strategies include:

uImproving the process of fall risk assessment

uPatient and staff education on falls

uImproving communication among healthcare providers about fall risk for patients

Statistics indicate that about 700, 000-1,000, 000 patient fall occur within the hospitals in the US every year. Fall-related injuries can result in an extended stay at the hospital by six days with the cost of care averaging $13, 316 per every fall incident. Therefore, it is important to address various factors that contribute to falls in one way or another. Many fall prevention programs normally integrate aspects such as improving the process of fall risk assessment, improving communication among healthcare providers regarding fall risk status and improving patient and staff education about falls (Weberg et al; 2017).

Support Cont.

uThe high incidence of falls indicates the need:

uTo address falls

uTo implement fall risk management strategies

uOrganizations have a duty to ensure patient safety

uAs part of care , the nursing staff should:

uAssess, intervene & document fall prevention aspects

uOrganizations have the duty of:

uImplementing fall prevention programs that include monitoring, collaboration, and communication

The high rate and high incidence of falls among patients indicates the need for healthcare organizations to implement fall risk management strategies. Therefore, organizations have the legal responsibility to provide a safe health care facility and work environment and preventing falls is one of the duties of ensuring patient safety. Nurses have the primary responsibility of assessing, intervening and documenting fall prevention aspects as a part of their process of care planning. On the other hand, organizations have the responsibility of executing a fall prevention program that entails monitoring, collaboration, and communication (Weberg et al; 2017).

Implementation

uImplementation of a fall prevention program will include:

uDeveloping a plan by obtaining administration support

uUndertake an environmental safety check on every unit

uCollecting data on rate of falls

uImplementing a monitoring system

uDeveloping system to record patient fall scores

uTraining staff to identify patients at high risk of falls

uEnsuring the staff know fall prevention strategies

Implementation of a fall prevention program in the rehabilitation center will include five steps. The first step will be to develop a plan for implementation of the program by obtaining support from the administration, including funding for the program. The second step will be to perform an environmental safety check on every unit to ensure the safety of the environment. The third step is to gather data on the figure of patient falls, indicating the figure of falls with injuries. HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay The next step will involve setting up a monitoring system and developing a system for recording fall scores of a patient in the patient’s chart. The final step will include training staff on how identify patients that are at risk of falls and educating them regarding fall prevention strategies.

Challenges

uResistance to changes by the nursing staff

uLack of sufficient assessment of fall risk

uFailure of the staff to comply with the safety practices

uProblematic physical environments

uInadequate staff training

Some of the projected obstacles during the implementation of the fall risk management program includes resistance to change by the nursing staff. Evidence indicates the nursing staff may resist changes due to projected increased workload or due to disruption of a familiar workflow pattern (Tyler et al; 2014) HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay. Other obstacles that may hinder successful implementation of the fall risk management program include lack of sufficient assessment of fall risk by the staff; failure of the staff to comply with the safety practices; problematic physical environments that may trigger falls; and inadequate staff training about falls.

Overcoming the Challenges

uEducating patients and their families about:

uRisk factors for falls

uModifications to preventing the falls

uEducating important in:

uInformation patients, families & staff about risk factors to falls

uThis will make them embrace the fall prevention program

The identified obstacles can be overcome by having a training program that will educate patients, members of their family and patients regarding the risk factors responsible for falls and the specific modifications that can prevent these falls HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay. Education will assist patients, family members, and staff understands things that contribute to falls so that they will appreciate the significance of the interventions the organization wants to implement and thus willingly embrace the fall prevention program.

Evaluation

uEffectiveness of a fall prevention program can be evaluated by:

uCollecting data pre-post program implementation

uReviewing the program annually

uUpdating the program regularly

uSharing data with the staff

uTherefore, the interdisciplinary assessment team will:

uCollect and analyze data on patients at high risk for falls

uPeriodically review fall reports & especially the institutional patterns

uCompare fall rate pre & post program implementation

uReduced fall rate will indicate the efficacy of the program

The efficacy of a fall prevention program can be evaluated by colleting statistics before and after the implementation of the program. The data is then analyzed to see of the fall rate has reduced after project implementation (Spirgiene et al; 2013). Therefore, in this case an interdisciplinary assessment team will collect data before and after the program implementation and analyze the rate of falls. The ream will also periodically review fall reports and particularly organizational patterns. HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

Opportunities

uAdditional risk management improvements done in:

uAdjacent areas like hallways & waiting rooms

uThe areas should be:

uFree of any physical obstacles

uFloor should not be slippery

uWell lit

uAddress the issue of furniture height and positioning in all units

There are other ways that the organization can address the issue of falls. This includes conducting additional risk management improvements in adjacent areas such as hallways and waiting rooms moving forward. It should be ensured that the environment in hallways and waiting rooms is well lit, not slippery and free of physical obstacles, that could lead to patient falls (Phelan et al; 2015). It is also important to ensure that the height of furniture and positioning are appropriate and do not encourage falls.

References

uGu, Y., Balcaen, K., Ni, Y., & Goffin, J. (2016). Review on Prevention of falls in hospital settings. Chinese Nursing Research, 3(1), 7-10.

uNajafpour, Z., Godarzi, Z., Arab, M., & Yaseri, M. (2019). Risk Factors for Falls in Hospital In-Patients: A Prospective Nested Case Control Study. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 8(5), 300-306.

uPhelan, E., Mahoney, J., Voit, J., & Stevens, J. (2015). Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in Primary Care Settings. Medical Clinics of North America, 99(2), 281-293.

uSpirgiene, L., Bosch-Leertouwer, H., & Watson, M et al. (2013). Improving patient safety: implementation of falls prevention strategy in hospital. Gerontologija, 14(4), 235-242. HLT-308V – Educational Program on Risk Management – Part One & Two – Fall Prevention Essay

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