Course Description
Falls among older patients and other at-risk patients are very common. In fact, as many as 75% of all residents fall every year in nursing care, and in acute care, falls make up about 38% of all adverse events. This program on fall prevention can help you and your institution meet the Joint Commission's National Patient Safety Goals. The program will cover the importance of making a risk assessment for each person in care, and a risk assessment of the environment at the facility. It will also cover a wide variety of preventative strategies and products for reducing the risk of injury from falls, and describe setting up a comprehensive fall prevention program in your facility
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the learner will be able to:
- Identify the seven crucial screening factors that must be assessed to determine a patient's level of fall risk
- Conduct a thorough risk assessment of the environment throughout the facility
- Accurately identify which patients are at risk for trips and falls in a hospital
- Educate at-risk patients and their family members about the specific risk factors associated with their condition, and review strategies to minimize them
- Utilize a variety of tools and techniques to minimize fall risk in the patient environment
- Identify the risk of fall or level of risk for patients
- Implement fall preventative strategies and nursing procedures to reduce the risk of falls for patients
- Utilize a wide range of tools and products designed to prevent falls and protect patients from fall-related injuries
- Identify the purpose and duties of a fall prevention committee
- Explain the importance of defining risk assessment policies and procedures within the facility
- Describe the importance of defining fall prevention protocols, educating fellow staff members, and monitoring the effectiveness of protocols once they have been put in place
- Outline important points to cover in a post-fall assessment and root cause analysis
Intended Audience
This educational activity was developed for nurses and healthcare staff including, but not limited to healthcare assistants and case managers.
CE Information
Medcom, Inc. designates this educational activity for 1 contact hour of continuing nursing education credit.
Course Authors
This educational activity was wholly developed, written, and produced by Medcom, Inc.