Patient Fall Prevention

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Fall Prevention Introduction The Quality and Education for Nurses (QSEN) project has set several goals for future nurses to meet in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSAs), one of which is safety (2014). The definition of safety according to QSEN is minimizing risk of harm to patients through system effectiveness and individual performance (QSEN, 2014). Since falls are such a huge occurrence in health care, preventing falls is critical for patient safety. The Joint Commission (2011) has also noted fall prevention as a National Safety Patient Goal (NPSG) 09.02.01 requiring hospitals to reduce the risk of harm resulting from falls. A fall is an “untoward event which results in the patient coming to rest unintentionally on the ground” (Morris & Isaacs, 1980). When it comes to patient safety in health care, there isn’t any subject that takes precedence. Patient falls are a major cause for concern in the health industry, particularly in an acute-care setting such as a hospital where a patient’s mental and physical well being may already be compromised. Not only do patient falls increase the length of hospital stays, but it has a major impact on the economics of health care with adjusted medical costs related to falls averaging in the range of 30 billion dollars per year (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2013). Patient falls are a common phenomenon seen most often in the elderly population. One out of three adults, aged 65 or older, fall each year (CDC, 2013). Complications of falls are quite critical in nature and are the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries including traumatic brain injuries and fractures. A huge solution to this problem focuses on prevention and education to those at risk. ... ... middle of paper ... ...rcury on Cardiovascular and Central Nervous Systems. Journal of Biomedical Biotechnolgy, v.2012, 2012:949048. Biodiversity Research Institute. (2012). Global Mercury Hotspots. Retrieved from http://www.ipen.org/hgmonitoring/pdfs/ipen-bri-report-global-hg-hostpots-2013-01-09.pdf United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Mercury. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/hg/ United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Mercury, Where You Live. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/hg/whereyoulive.htm University of Minnesota. (2012). The Adverse Health Effects of Mercury. Retrieved from http://enhs.umn.edu/current/5103_spring2003/mercury/merchealtheffects.html World Health Organization. (2013). Mercury and Health. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs361/en/

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