Courses

INTENDED AUDIENCE This activity was developed to help nurses and other healthcare workers prevent patient falls in the healthcare environment. COMMERCIAL SUPPORT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT No commercial support was provided for the development of this activity. STATEMENT OF NEED The purpose of this program is to provide nurses an understanding of who is at risk for trips and falls in a healthcare facility, and which elements in the environment also put patients at increased risk for falls. It also provides nurses with preventative strategies and products that can be used to reduce the risk of injury from falls, and a description of how to set up a comprehensive fall prevention program. METHOD OF PARTICIPATION To complete this activity and obtain CE credit, you must do the following: - Read this Course Introduction/Disclosures section in its entirety. - Read the course material. - Complete the Post Test with a score of 80% or more. - Submit the online activity evaluation form. ACCREDITATION Medcom/Trainex is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.* Medcom/Trainex is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing (provider number CEP 9888), and the Florida Board of Nursing (provider number 50-1285). *Accreditation refers to recognition of educational activities only and does not imply Commission on Accreditation approval or endorsement of any product. CREDIT DESIGNATION Medcom, Inc. designates this educational activity for 1 contact hour of continuing nursing education credit. OVERVIEW 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. The material is organized around the following categories: - Introduction - Fall Risk Assessment: The Person - Fall Risk Assessment: Environment - Preventive Strategies - Tools and Products - Risk Assessment Procedures - Environmental Risk Assessment - Fall Reduction Protocols - Education - Monitor Progress - Post-fall Assessment - S-P-L-A-T-T - Conclusion LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this course, the learner should 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. AUTHOR / REVIEWERS This educational activity was wholly developed, written, and produced by Medcom, Inc., G. Rand Rodriguez, editor. Janet H. Lemler, BSW, RN, and Sharon L. Konrad, MSN, RN, CCRN, ACNS-BC served as subject matter experts in review of the content, and performed content validation reviews. Marguerite Voorhees, RN, MN, CNS, CPHQ, CPHRM, served as nurse planner. PLANNER / AUTHOR DISCLOSURE In accordance with ANCC Standards, parallel documents from other accrediting bodies, and Medcom, Inc. policy, the learner is hereby informed that the planners and staff of Medcom, Inc., and the content validation reviewer(s) involved with this activity have reported no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests. Furthermore, there is no discussion in this activity about the use of products for non FDA-approved indications. UNAPPROVED USE DISCLOSURE Medcom, Inc. requires authors and content validation reviewers to disclose to the learner when products or procedures being discussed are off-label, unlabeled, experimental, and/or investigational (not FDA approved); and any limitations on the information that is presented, such as data that are preliminary or that represent ongoing research, interim analyses, and/or unsupported opinion. Authors of this activity may present information about pharmaceutical agents that is outside of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved labeling. This information is intended solely for continuing medical education and is not intended to promote off-label use of these medications. If you have questions, contact the medical affairs department of the manufacturer for the most recent prescribing information. DISCLAIMER As in all educational activities, we encourage the practitioners to use their own judgment in treating and addressing the needs of each individual patient, taking into account the patient's unique clinical situation. Medcom disclaims any liability and/or loss resulting from the information contained in this activity. The learner specifically agrees to indemnify and hold Medcom, the creators, producers, and distributors of this activity harmless against any and all claims or liabilities arising out of the use of any information provided in this activity by the learner, or by anyone directly or indirectly obtaining such information through the learner.