What organisations can do to prevent falls in hospitals
• Put in place a falls prevention programme that includes raising patient and family awareness about the impact of falling.
• Appoint falls prevention / harm reduction leaders and champions.
• Put in place clinical management systems to report, record and analyse falls – every incident is an opportunity for positive learning.
• Ensure staff complete falls prevention education programmes
• Provide risk assessment and care planning tools.
• Put visual cues, such as patient display boards, in the bed area.
What nurses can do to prevent falls in hospitals
• Make sure the environment is free of falls hazards and clutter.
• On admission, ask patients if they have fallen in the past 12 months.
• Undertake a risk assessment for each patient with his or her family / whānau and develop and implement a care plan with them.
• Communicate a patient’ s falls risk and plan on handover, transfer and discharge.
• Reassess a patient’ s falls risk after he or she has had a fall, or if his or her condition changes.
• Teach patients and their families / whānau how to avoid falls.
• On discharge, refer patients to fracture prevention and exercise programmes, as appropriate.
• Report all falls.
• Take part in falls events analysis and audits.
Each month of the Open campaign’ s falls period, there will be a focus on a different falls-related topic in a different setting, supported by information resources, initiatives and events. Altogether, there are 10 topics on preventing falls and reducing harm from falls.
To see the 10 topics, and to sign up for alerts on the 10 topics or to register your interest in the campaign, go to: http:// www. open. hqsc. govt. nz / falls / news-and-events / news / 943 /
Hazel’ s story
Conferences & Events
College of Nurses AGM 5.30pm 23rd October 2013 Executive Suite, Seminar Suites, Massey University, Wellington Drinks & nibbles will be served between the AGM and our invited guest speakers.
Workshops / Seminars- see www. nurse. org. nz for venues and dates Professional Boundaries- New Plymouth, Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch Professional Portfolios- Wellington, Christchurch & Auckland Nurses in Business- Wellington
If you know of an event that you would like to see in this section of our next issue, please send details to admin @ nurse. org. nz
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