Date of Award
Spring 2019
Document Type
DNP Project Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
Committee Chairperson
Veronica Wilbur, Ph.D., APRN-FNP, CNE, FAANP
Committee Member
Amy M. Sawyer, Ph.D., RN
Committee Member
Cheryl D. Schlamb, DNP, CRNP
Abstract
The Falls T.I.P.S. program is a person-centered approach for nurses to educate and engage the veteran and family to identify falls risks as well as using falls prevention interventions to reduce falls. Once the veteran and/or family are educated, it was expected that they have an understanding and an increased awareness of fall risks and fall prevention interventions. With the support of nursing, family members and other hospital staff, each veteran would engage in a daily discussion about his/her falls risk and personalized falls prevention limitations which is displayed on a personalized poster to mitigate falls. Weekly audits were conducted with inconsistent compliance. Final cumulative review of data demonstrates progress toward compliance with each data element which could lead to positive outcome. The falls data, however, does not demonstrate a relationship between implementation of the fall T.I.P.S. program with a decrease in falls on the unit. Many variables could influence outcomes and many opportunities were identified to alter the program to meet the unique needs of the veteran population. The outcome of this project suggests the worth while efforts to continue the program on the current unit, collaborate with original authors to have the tool amended, and continue the program on additional units to include long term care.
Recommended Citation
Schoen, Tracey and Schoen, Tracey, "Implementation of Fall T.I.P.S. (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) will decrease the number of falls that occur on the Acute Care Unit at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center" (2019). West Chester University Doctoral Projects. 42.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_doctoral/42