Nurses Service Organization’s Post

Transcript

#3 Patient falls According to the CDC, falls are a leading cause of bodily injury in older adults, with one out of five falls causing a serious injury such as broken bones or a head injury. Falls are also a common source of professional liability litigation. Allegations of failure to maintain a safe environment resulting in patient falls include allowing a patient who requires the use of a Walker to stand unattended, transferring a patient from the bed to the wheelchair without using prescribed. Lifting devices best practices to help avoid patient falls include establishing fall prevention and reduction programs that include utilizing a fall assessment tool to assess patient risk factors such as fall history, reduced vision, use of assistive devices, cognitive impairment, etcetera. Document all mitigation measures taken, reinforce fall risk reduction tactics with patients and family, and continually assess and monitor patients if a fault does occur. Report the incident to your supervisor, treating provider, and the patient's family. Be sure to document the incident objectively in the EHR. For more top risk management insights or to get a free quote, visit nso.com.