Aim To describe nurse‐specific and patient risk factors present at the time of a patient fall on medical surgical units within an academic public health care system. Background The incidence of falls can be devastating for hospitalized patients and their families. Few studies have investigated how patient and nurse‐specific factors can decrease the occurrence of falls in hospitals. Method In this retrospective cohort study, data were gathered on all patients who experienced a fall during January 2012 to December 2013. Results Falls were reduced dramatically when the number of nurses on the unit increased to five or six. Patient falls occurred most often when either the least experienced or most experienced nursing staff were providing care. Conclusion Patient falls in hospitals can be influenced not only by patient‐specific factors, but also by nurse staffing and experience level. Implications for nursing management Findings from this study highlight factors which may contribute to hospital‐based falls prevention initiatives and are amenable to nursing management decisions.

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between the way in which aerobically trained and untrained women metabolize fats and carbohydrates at rest in response to either a high-fat or high-carbohydrate meal. Subjects, 6 per group, were fed a high CHO meal (2068 kJ, 76% CHO, 23% fat, 5% protein) and a high fat meal (2093 kJ, 21% CHO, 72% fat, 8% protein) in counterbalanced order. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) was measured every half-hour for 5 hours. RMR was similar between groups. However, after ingesting a high CHO meal, trained subjects had a peak in metabolism at minute 60, not evident in the untrained subjects. In addition, postprandial RER from minutes 120-300 were lower and fat use was greater after the high CHO meal for the trained subjects. These results suggest that aerobically trained women have an accelerated CHO uptake and overall lower CHO oxidation following the ingestion of a high CHO meal.

Fall rates among hospitalized patients with AIS are low, which may be reflective of increased vigilance among providers and widespread integration of fall prevention strategies. Consistent with the fall literature among other populations, the occurrence of a fall in the inpatient setting can substantially increase length of stay.

Nurse residency programs (NRPs) are an effective mechanism for transitioning newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) to practice. No studies have investigated how experienced nurses view NLRN performance after NRPs. The purpose of this quality initiative was to identify experienced nurses' satisfaction with NLRN proficiency before and after implementation of an NRP using the Nursing Practice Readiness Tool. Findings indicate that experienced nurses are more satisfied with the performance of NLRNs after the new nurse participated in an NRP.