February 2013 Volume 2, Issue 2
UMMC Nursing Newsletter Facts About Falls UMMC Falls Oct– Dec 2012
Important Fall Statistics 38% occurred in patient’s room or restroom 54% did not specify the location of the fall Most falls happened during the time between: 8a and 1p and 5p to 9p 42% of patients scored as standard fall risk
Falls With Injury Rate 0.96 (up from 0.46)
Out of the 55 falls reported in Jan, only16 events had post fall huddle reports submitted to CPPD
Issues identified in January post-huddle forms received by CPPD: • • • • • • •
Standard fall precautions were NOT in place by the time of a fall: i.e., non-skid socks, bed/chair alarms *on*, etc. Most falls related to toileting. Of 8 falls from the bed, only 1 patient was in a low bed and the alarm was on. 21% of units not conducting huddles. 83% of units who conduct huddles discussed falls during daily huddles. 100% had the falls tracking board posted. 78.4% of boards had a post-fall huddle form posted.
Food for thought: • • •
Is your unit conducting daily huddles? Does the huddle include discussions about what patients are at a higher risk of falling and are preventive interventions in place? Does your unit review the monthly falls data together? Everyone thinks differently and can help provide valuable insight into strategies to prevent falls.
Total Falls Trending: Past 12 Months
January’s total falls = 53 (up from 41)
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