During your study, did you uncover any areas that need additional projects, but were not addressed in the current study because they did not pertain to the focus of the study? Explain. This was my response:During the study on implementing an evidence-based hourly rounding intervention to reduce patient falls, several areas emerged that warrant additional projects but were not addressed due to the specific focus of the current study. One significant area is the psychological consequences of patients’ falls on their lives and the quality of their lives. The project’s main focus was on the physical aspects of fall prevention systematized with hourly rounding whereas it became clear that emotional and psychological consequences of falls should be also taken into account. The topic of the next projects should be the development of wide set strategies that comprise psychological support and counseling for patients who have already got falls. This approach could be highly effective in relieving the fear of falling again, which is one of the main reasons for the decreased mobility and increasing dependency, so that the cycle of immobility and fall risks continues.
Another research area for consideration is how staff training and knowledge affect the success rate of fall prevention programs. However, the last project focused on training nursing staff with the new rounding protocol just, but a more detailed analysis of various training methods would be of value. Future initiatives may involve examining the effects of continuous professional development programs on staff adherence to fall prevention procedures and patient safety in general in the long run. This might be for instance, an analysis of different training methods like online modules to in-person workshops, in order to find out which method is the best for educating healthcare workers on fall prevention.
In addition, the role of technology as a preventive measure in fall cases was also identified as an area that needs more investigation. Even though this study concentrated on the hourly rounding, which is done manually, the integration of new technologies like motion sensors, wearable devices and smart beds systems can immensely improve the prevention of falls. Then, future studies could be made that will assess the usefulness of these technologies in the real world, comparing the results with those from the traditional methods. It could also be done through showing the cost-benefit analysis of implementing such technologies in long-term care facilities, This would be of value to healthcare administrators who want to make technological investments.
To begin with, the report has shown that it is necessary to apply a comprehensive approach to fall prevention, which involves environmental changes. The hourly rounding intervention would be geared towards filling immediate patient requirements. On the other hand, future projects can be undertaken to focus on the broader physical environment of long-term care facilities. It could be to evaluate on the impact of environmental factors such as lighting, flooring, furniture arrangement and accessibility features on fall rates. The exact process of modifications should be investigated, which could finally end up in the creation of a comprehensive checklist for the protection of elderly residents.
The link between drug management and fall risk is also another important issue which require additional research. The present research revealed that the polypharmacy and the side effects of drugs are among the most important factors that lead to falls in elderly patients. Targeted interventions can be researched and implemented in future projects with the goal of minimizing fall risk by optimizing medication regimens. One of the key strategies could be the very close coordination between pharmacists, physicians, and nursing staff to regularly review and adjust medications given the changing health status of each patient.
In conclusion, family members as a factor in the fall prevention is still not a very popular topic, but it can be effective. The project in progress did not substantially highlight the part of the family members in the help of fall prevention. In addition, future studies may involve finding ways of educating and engaging family members to be able to prevent falls, which is through giving them the knowledge and tools to help in monitoring and supporting their loved ones. This could also involve the design of family-centered care plans and educating programs that reinforce the collaborative model of the patient safety.
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While your future recommendations include research, what other QI projects for DNP students could you envision? Remember, your project included an intervention that was not research. The use of “study” would not be correct, primarily if you are considering publishing at some point.
Interesting about the use of families in reducing falls. Do you think family members should be responsible for reducing falls in a facility? Or at home? This is an interesting take on this. I am sure patient advocates may have a different perspective 😉
Please remove study everywhere and replace with project. Please identify 3 other quality improvement projects.
Second many patients come to rehab from falls at home so family should be reponsible at home and falls then occur at the facilities. Elaborate.
