Description of the key program elements
A patient fall prevention program for elderly patients was developed at the Good Faith Hospital in Minnesota, where patient falls had increased by 23% the previous year. Patient falls are the most commonly recorded clinical occurrences, accounting for 40% of most potential complications. Falls are a vital healthcare issue, and healthcare practitioners are accountable for detecting, controlling, and removing possible client dangers (Røyset et al., 2019). Falls are the most prevalent and sometimes fatal consequence of hospitalizations, especially among the aged. As per epidemiology studies done at the Good Faith Hospital, results indicated that falls within the hospital occur at a rate of 4 to 5 per 1000 bed-days, while healthcare research estimates that 70% of inpatient falls happen each year (Spano-Szekely et al., 2019). The goal of the fall prevention program was to decrease the rate of patient falls in the hospital, improve patient care, and earn back the trust of patients who are still in fear of falling. Before interventions were implemented, thorough research was conducted to assess the patients’ needs and potential problems that would affect the implementation of the interventions. Some of the project’s key stakeholders included the physician, the nurse, the administration, and the patient.
A description of the strategies that the program uses to produce a change
Patient falls are a major problem in all healthcare settings; thus, it’s vital to develop strategies to reduce their occurrence. Interventions were built and deployed after thorough assessments in the care setting. Regular safety rounds were an important strategy in reducing patient falls that was implemented. The chance of a patient falling is considerably reduced by doing periodic check-ups on the patient (Røyset et al., 2019). The nurse would ensure that all fall prevention devices, such as red socks, armbands, fall signs, and bed alarms were in working condition during the safety rounds. Another intervention was to ensure that all patient rooms, baths, and corridors were equipped with solid railings. Patients and staff were given more information on the seriousness of falls (Griffiths et al., 2019). The need to do an evaluation to look for any dangers that might cause the patient to fall was stressed to nurses. The interventions implemented were easy to implement and further had a significant positive change on the rate of patient falls in the hospital.
A description of the needs of the target population.
Elderly individuals tend to be the most affected by patient falls. Some of the factors contributing to the elderly falling include age, medications, sensory deficits, and cognitive impairment. A major need for the patient was movement (Walsh et al., 2018). Since most elderly patients are in inpatient care, they require movement; thus, results indicated that nurses are not always available as they do not frequently check up on patients’ movement becomes a problem. Movement in going to the toilet, bathroom, or pathways tends to be restricted since nurses are not present to assist them and since patients are afraid of falling, their movement is highly restricted.
An explanation of why a process evaluation is important for the program
A process evaluation concentrates mostly on project implementation and determines how well the program fulfilled the reasoning model’s approach. As contrasted with resulting or effecting assessments, a process assessment concentrates on the initial three phases of the conceptual framework. The outcomes of a process evaluation could help you reflect upon the project and utilize relevant information to improve ongoing development. It assists you in keeping track of program information. Conducting a process evaluation on the patient fall prevention program will be essential in analyzing if the interventions were successful and if there has been a change after their implementation. Identifying if the interventions implemented were successful is a fundamental element as it will determine whether the patient falls decreased (Spano-Szekely et al., 2019). The major focus of this investigation was on the rate of patient injuries from falls and the rate of longer hospital admissions as a result of falls. We will be able to measure the success of the treatments by analyzing the rate of longer patient stays and damages caused by falls (Griffiths et al., 2019).
A plan for building relationships with the staff and management
Developing a relationship with the staff and management is a fundamental element as it will ensure the program’s success. When it comes to collaborating in a program staff members with strong relationships are more likely to succeed. Having trusted coworkers may motivate one to perform at maximum ability, and efficient communication with them can help you all finish projects faster. The nurse, physician, and management are some of the personnel or stakeholders participating in the program.
Allocating the staff responsibilities that will be performed to guarantee the program’s success is an important part of developing a partnership. Patient falls will be reduced by giving nurse and physician activities such as ensuring that frequent check-ups on the patient are conducted since a medical expert will be there. Engaging the management in program activities is an essential aspect as they should be informed (Røyset et al., 2019). By regularly informing them on the progress of the implementations, it ensures that they are fully engaged as they are vital stakeholders for the program and essential members who can ensure the success of the project.
Broad questions to be answered by the process evaluation
Some of the questions that may be answered by the process evaluation that will be carried out on the patient fall prevention program will include:
- Was the project’s implementation satisfactory to the participants?
- How do the project’s personnel, community allies, and referral organizations feel regarding it?
- What essential patient needs to be solved?
- Were the program’s objectives achieved?
- Were all of the elements of the interventions carried out according to plan?
- What kind of assessment is used to determine if the program successfully achieves its objectives?
Specific questions to be answered by the process evaluation
- What particular actions did the project implementation to combat the prevalence of falls at Good Health Hospital?
- What types of issues were encountered while implementing the program?
- Were there adequate funds to execute it right from the start?
- What was the period taken to implement the interventions?
- How did the stakeholder or staff help in implementing the interventions and in the overall development of the project?
A plan for gathering and analyzing the information
Regular evaluations are necessary to guarantee that the interventions are successful. The major focus of this investigation was on the rate of patient injuries from falls and the rate of longer hospital stays resulting from falls. We will be able to measure the success of the treatments by analyzing the rate of longer patient stays and damages caused by falls (Walsh et al., 2018). To make the initiative work, a qualified multidisciplinary team must be assembled, which will aid in the reduction and prevention of patient falls. The nurse will be an important component of the multidisciplinary team (Griffiths et al., 2019). Because the nurse spends more time with the patient, they will be in charge of keeping track of their development and assessing the interventions’ success (Spano-Szekely et al., 2019). Following the implementation of the interventions, an assessment period of eight weeks will be performed to assess the effectiveness of the implemented interventions. The information gathered from the evaluation results will be examined.
Reference
Griffiths, A. W., Kelley, R., Garrod, L., Perfect, D., Robinson, O., Shoesmith, E., … & Surr, C. A. (2019). Barriers and facilitators to implementing dementia care mapping in care homes: results from the DCM™ EPIC trial process evaluation. BMC geriatrics, 19(1), 1-16.
Røyset, B., Talseth-Palmer, B. A., Lydersen, S., & Farup, P. G. (2019). Effects of a fall prevention program in elderly: a pragmatic observational study in two orthopedic departments. Clinical interventions in aging, 14, 145.
Spano-Szekely, L., Winkler, A., Waters, C., Dealmeida, S., Brandt, K., Williamson, M., … & Wright, F. (2019). Individualized fall prevention program in an acute care setting: an evidence-based practice improvement. Journal of nursing care quality, 34(2), 127-132.
Walsh, C. M., Liang, L. J., Grogan, T., Coles, C., McNair, N., & Nuckols, T. K. (2018). Temporal trends in fall rates with the implementation of a multifaceted fall prevention program: persistence pays off. The Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety, 44(2), 75-83.
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