Lebanon, NH
National Quality Measures in Fall Prevention
Colleen Warren, right, confers with a colleague about fall prevention techniques.
Patient falls are a common problem in a hospital setting. The causes and risks of falls aren't surprising—patients who are seriously ill and are on medications that might make them dizzy, those who are older and may have balance problems or those who need assistance with a walker or a cane. Nurses are on the front line to help prevent falls and often use national quality and safety measures as part of their arsenal of prevention tools.
View Video
- Loading...If the video or audio does not appear, your browser either doesn't support Javascript or you have it turned off. talks about how their fall prevention strategies have worked to provide safer care. (4:04)
Dartmouth-Hitchcock nurses on two particular inpatient units—1 and 3 East—battle this safety issue every day. The patients on these units are mostly older with chronic diseases who have frequent hospital stays that require complex care. They are at a higher risk for falls than most patients, but the nurses on these units are undeterred.
