Monitoring of Patients' Falls in Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The issue of hospitalized patients’ falls in healthcare facilities should be one of the most essential interests of healthcare employees. Monitoring, keeping of records and the assessment of the documentation related to the occurrence of patients’ falls in a healthcare facility helps healthcare employees determine the frequency of falls. Monitoring of extraordinary events helps identify weaknesses in patient care and point out recurring issues, which influence the quality and safety of the provided care. A reduction in the number of falls in every healthcare facility requires a complex approach of healthcare employees, which includes admitting, assessing, and reducing the risks of falls.
 OBJECTIVES: The aim of this report was to point out the occurrence of hospitalized patients’ falls in a healthcare facility.
 METHODS: The data collection was done through a survey method (unstandardized survey). The research group was composed of nurses (n=130) providing nursing care to patients in four healthcare facilities in Trebišov, Vranov nad Topľou a Michalovce. The average age of the nurses was 38.7 years old. The results were analyzed through absolute and relative frequency. The Chi-squared test was used as a statistical method. The obtained results were interpreted on the significance level α = 0.05. The sorting criteria included age, type of department, and level of experience.
 RESULTS: The obtained results point out that nurses use conversation and observation to assess the risk of patients’ falls. In the research sample, falls occur with an increased incidence. There is a statistically significant contrast (p = 0.02) concerning the way in which nurses in each department report falls.
 CONCLUSION: In the issue of falls, nursing documentation plays a big role because falls are documented as extraordinary events. Based on our results, we suggest using a unified, standardized tool to assess the risk of falls in healthcare facilities, as monitoring extraordinary events can influence the quality and safety of the provided nursing care.