Brief Description and Background Information
It is imperative to note that falling is one of the most prevalent and dangerous problems for geriatric patients when they stay in hospitals. Radecki et al. (2018) state that “in the United States, approximately 700,000 to 1,000,000 patients fall annually during their hospitalization, and up to half of these falls result in an injury” (p. 114). In other words, elderly patients are suffering from falls and related injuries in a massive proportion, nearly a million people yearly.
It is a troubling number, requiring an urgent and effective solution to reduce it as minimally as possible. Preventing falls among geriatric patients is not easy since it is complicated by patients’ personal needs, nursing staff limitations, resource constraints, and clinical judgment. Thus, it should be stated that “effective fall prevention, therefore, requires a partnership between the patient and staff that respects and includes the patient’s view” (Radecki et al., 2018). A geriatric patient cannot be denied the freedom to move and walk to reduce their chance of falling since it violates their autonomy.
The traditional, or conventional, approach to fall prevention among the elderly is a clinician-led method. It means that a clinician decides how risky it is for a geriatric patient to fall, which dictates how the latter is monitored and cared for by nurses (Radecki et al., 2018). The problem with this approach is that it denies patients their involvement in their own fall prevention and autonomy.
In addition, the current rate of falls is around one million, which is not indicative of the effectiveness and validity of this strategy. I found that there is “an inverse relationship between participation and adverse events” (Radecki et al., 2018, p. 115). As a result, geriatric patients want and should be the ones making the risk assessments about their fall chances and be provided with the necessary support they require.
The Significance of the Topic to Nursing Practice
Since the geriatric patient perspective remains a ‘gray’ area of literature, qualitative research methods provide the best directions for further, more precise quantitative studies. Radecki et al. (2018) utilized a method of interviews to gather qualitative and descriptive information on how geriatric patients perceive the problem. The researchers found that patients want to be more involved in their fall prevention measures because they are more aware of their unique concerns, which tend to be dismissed or unaccounted for by the clinician.
The study is significant because it highlights the fact that “the fall assessment needs a shift from being clinician-centric to patient-centric” (Radecki et al., 2018, p. 118). The latter means that geriatric patients should assess their risks of falls and make requests for assistance within the constraints of available resources and staff. It also implies that “nurses must develop a relationship with the patient to facilitate understanding of their needs and how we can focus on maintaining their sense of freedom” (Radecki et al., 2018, p. 118). Therefore, there is a clear research gap regarding patient-centric fall prevention strategies.
PICO Question
In geriatric patients (P), how do patient-centric fall prevention strategies (I) compare to clinician-centric fall prevention measures (C) influence the fall rate (O)?
Reference
Radecki, B., Reynolds, S., & Kara, A. (2018). Inpatient fall prevention from the patient’s perspective: A qualitative study. Applied Nursing Research, 43, 114-119. Web.