My capstone project is to identify the effective fall prevention program that would prevent or reduce the fall rates in the hospitals. Each year, 700,000 to between 1 million people falls in the hospitals whereas 11,000 falls results in a fatality and 30-35 % result in fall injury (Ferenc, 2014).
Not only that, they will stay longer in the hospital to receive treatment which increases the costs and financial problems. This project will hopefully help to prevent these statistics. I discussed this project with mentor about some of the aspects that will be considered and how it will be impact in patient care.
My project will directly impact my department financial budget because all the staffs who works for the department will take education to learn the new plan. Indirectly, if we implement this plan and it works, then it will decrease the financial costs of the patients who stays longer after the falls and save money for unnecessary treatment that would associated with falls.
"As of 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) does not reimburse hospitals for certain types of traumatic injuries that occur while a patient is in the hospital; many of these injuries could occur after a fall" (Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, 2013). Clinically, this project will directly affect the nurses process and identifications of fall risks and interventions.
Indirectly, this project will affect the clinical practice because it will change the way we identify, and treat may differently to reduce the fall rates. In quality aspects, if the project helps to decrease the fall rates, it is a huge affect for our department because this is a national quality goal. Indirectly, it will also affect how my hospital is viewed on its quality measures for patients.
Ferenc, J. (2014). Joint Commission targets solutions for fall prevention. Health Facilities management.
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. (2013). Preventing falls in Hospitals.