Article in American
Journal of Critical Care finds patients deemed at risk for falls may not follow
prevention strategies depending on their perceptions of personal risk
Newswise,
September 3, 2015 — Falls are the most common adverse event among hospitalized
patients, and a study published in the September issue of the American
Journal of Critical Care(AJCC) examines an often overlooked element to
preventing falls in hospitals: patient perceptions of their personal risk.
The
article, “Perceptions Related to Falls and Fall Prevention Among
Hospitalized Adults,” discusses the results of an inpatient survey about
fall-related attitudes.
The
38-item survey included the patients’ ratings of their confidence to act
without falling and their degree of concern about falling. The patients also
answered questions about potential consequences of their falling while
hospitalized and their intention to ask for assistance before taking an action
that is deemed high risk for falls.
The
study found acutely ill patients’ intentions to engage in fall prevention
behaviors during hospitalization decrease when they are not afraid of falling,
do not perceive adverse consequences if they do fall, and have increased
confidence that they can perform high-risk behaviors without help and without
falling.
Principal
investigator Renee Samples Twibell, RN, PhD, CNE, is an associate professor in
the School of Nursing at Ball State University and a nurse researcher at
Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital, both in Muncie, Indiana.
“Strategies
to prevent falls have limited success without patients’ participation,” Twibell
said. “Our findings suggest that fear of falling is a key perception for nurses
to assess as they develop fall-prevention plans.”
A
total of 158 patients in acute care units at Ball Memorial Hospital
participated in the study.
Even
though all study participants had been assessed by nurses as being at risk for
falls, more than half reported they were not at all likely or were slightly
likely to fall during hospitalization and were confident that they could get
out of bed without help and without falling.
Other
findings from the study include the following:
• More than 75 percent of participants reported they would call for assistance before getting out of bed to walk to the bathroom, walk around in their hospital room or walk outside the room. However, 10 percent indicated that they would not call for help for any mobility-related activities.
• Approximately 80 percent of patients surveyed said they would reach for items on the bedside table without help and were confident they could do so without falling.
• Nearly half of the respondents were most concerned with walking outside their hospital room.
• Participants reported that even if they fell, they would still be able to cope alone (69 percent), be independent (60 percent) and be active (65 percent).
• More than 75 percent of participants reported they would call for assistance before getting out of bed to walk to the bathroom, walk around in their hospital room or walk outside the room. However, 10 percent indicated that they would not call for help for any mobility-related activities.
• Approximately 80 percent of patients surveyed said they would reach for items on the bedside table without help and were confident they could do so without falling.
• Nearly half of the respondents were most concerned with walking outside their hospital room.
• Participants reported that even if they fell, they would still be able to cope alone (69 percent), be independent (60 percent) and be active (65 percent).
At
the bedside, nurses caring for acutely ill patients can put this research into
practice by incorporating fall-related perceptions as they assess each
patient’s risk factors. They can then integrate that information into a
fall-prevention plan and tailor communications about falls to fit a patient’s
perception.
The
research team suggests directions for future studies and calls for new
strategies to shape the perceptions of patients at risk for falls and to engage
acutely ill, alert patients in staying safe during hospitalization.
The American Association of
Critical-Care Nurses, which publishes AJCC, supported this
research project with an AACN-Philips Healthcare clinical outcomes grant.
Additional research and clinical practice resources on fall prevention are
available at www.aacn.org.
To
access the article and its full-text PDF, visit the AJCCwebsite at www.ajcconline.org.
About the American
Journal of Critical Care:
TheAmerican Journal
of Critical Care (AJCC), a bimonthly scientific journal
published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, provides
leading-edge clinical research that focuses on evidence-based practice
applications.
Established in 1992, it includes clinical and research studies, case
reports, editorials and commentaries. AJCC enjoys a
circulation of more than 101,000 acute and critical care nurses and can be
accessed at www.ajcconline.org.
About the American
Association of Critical-Care Nurses:
Founded in 1969 and
based in Aliso Viejo, Calif., the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
(AACN) is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. AACN joins
together the interests of more than 500,000 acute and critical care nurses and
claims more than 235 chapters worldwide. The organization’s vision is to create
a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which
acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution.
No comments:
Post a Comment