Dr. Xiomara Perez, DNP, MSN, RN – Implementation of a fall risk assessment tool specific to behavioral health to decrease falls and falls with injury compared to the current tool

Course Description

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Traditional fall risk assessment tools do not identify risk factors specific to the psychiatric population. The proposed project was an evidence-based practice intervention that implemented the Edmonson’s Psychiatric Fall Assessment Tool to address the PICOT question: -among patients in the inpatient behavioral health setting will implementation of a fall risk assessment tool specific to behavioral health decrease falls and falls with injury compared to the current tool over a six-week period? The current tool used at the study organization did not assess for specific risk factors in the psychiatric population lending to the gap in practice. Inter-rater reliability among RN’s who used the new tool was 97%.   Limitations to the study included the short implementation time of six weeks. Findings showed   a decrease in falls, staff compliance with documentation of falls risk assessment and prevention improved. Additionally, staff expressed satisfaction regarding the tools ease of use. The improvement project which utilized a PDCA methodology, resulted in a new policy that included clustering patients at risk for falls with one staff member.

Course Objectives

Objective 1

The learner will be able to identify the difference between a traditional fall risk assessment and one specific to patients in a behavioral health setting.

Objective 2

The learner will be able to identify specific risk factors in the psychiatric population lending to the gap in practice.