Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa
Background: Falls risk assessment tools, including the Morse Falls Scale, have been used for years, and yet falls remain key adverse events in hospitals. Nurses are key role players in falls prevention and can champion patient safety. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore ward nurses’ att...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Curationis |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/2479 |
| _version_ | 1797641331126829056 |
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| author | Christine Rogers Athene Irving |
| author_facet | Christine Rogers Athene Irving |
| author_sort | Christine Rogers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Falls risk assessment tools, including the Morse Falls Scale, have been used for years, and yet falls remain key adverse events in hospitals. Nurses are key role players in falls prevention and can champion patient safety.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore ward nurses’ attitudes, knowledge and practices regarding the use of falls risk assessment tools, institutional falls policy and falls prevention.
Methods: A survey design was used. All permanent ward nurses were eligible to participate, and a convenience sample was used.
Results: Nurses endorsed the Morse Falls Scale, recommended by institutional policy, as effective in reducing falls and indicated that incident reporting measured progress on monitoring fall events. Falls prevention training was scanty; however, nurses were keen for further education of falls.
Conclusion: Effective falls risk management needs to extend beyond promulgating policy and actively address nursing and patient education.
Contribution: This study adds to the sparse literature regarding nursing practice and falls prevention in a developing country. Recommendations for change have been made. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:44:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-385365d48765459baacd5fc328ff3bb7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0379-8577 2223-6279 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:44:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Curationis |
| spelling | doaj.art-385365d48765459baacd5fc328ff3bb72023-11-02T10:58:24ZengAOSISCurationis0379-85772223-62792023-10-01461e1e1110.4102/curationis.v46i1.24791527Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South AfricaChristine Rogers0Athene Irving1Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownDepartment of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape TownBackground: Falls risk assessment tools, including the Morse Falls Scale, have been used for years, and yet falls remain key adverse events in hospitals. Nurses are key role players in falls prevention and can champion patient safety. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore ward nurses’ attitudes, knowledge and practices regarding the use of falls risk assessment tools, institutional falls policy and falls prevention. Methods: A survey design was used. All permanent ward nurses were eligible to participate, and a convenience sample was used. Results: Nurses endorsed the Morse Falls Scale, recommended by institutional policy, as effective in reducing falls and indicated that incident reporting measured progress on monitoring fall events. Falls prevention training was scanty; however, nurses were keen for further education of falls. Conclusion: Effective falls risk management needs to extend beyond promulgating policy and actively address nursing and patient education. Contribution: This study adds to the sparse literature regarding nursing practice and falls prevention in a developing country. Recommendations for change have been made.https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/2479hospital-based fallsfalls risk identificationfalls preventionnursing practicelow- and middle-income country |
| spellingShingle | Christine Rogers Athene Irving Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa Curationis hospital-based falls falls risk identification falls prevention nursing practice low- and middle-income country |
| title | Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa |
| title_full | Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa |
| title_short | Nurses’ perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in South Africa |
| title_sort | nurses perspectives on inpatient falls in a large academic hospital in south africa |
| topic | hospital-based falls falls risk identification falls prevention nursing practice low- and middle-income country |
| url | https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/2479 |
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