Assessment and Management of Fall Risk in the Inpatient Ward of the Aceh Government Hospital: Case Study

Abstract

One of the goals of patient safety is to prevent patient falls. Patient falls are an incident in hospitals that result in injury and even death of patients and are the second most common adverse event in health services after medication errors. Nurses can prevent falls by implementing fall prevention guidelines such as closely monitoring patients at high risk of falling and involving the patient's family to avoid falls. Nurses have a role in assessing and managing falls in patients by providing education to patients and taking fall prevention measures based on applicable Standard Operating Procedures. This case study aims to determine the assessment and management of fall risk in the Aceh Government Hospital inpatient ward. The sampling technique used total sampling with a total of 23 nurses. Data was collected in September 2023 after obtaining institutional permission and filling out informed consent to become a research respondent. The data collection tool uses an observation sheet to assess and manage fall risk, developed based on Standard Operational Procedures. Data analysis uses descriptive statistical tests. This case study shows that 78.2% of nurses did not carry out fall risk assessments, and 74.00% did not manage fall risks. As direct superiors of nurses, first-line managers can carry out supervision, guidance, and regular discussions to assess and manage fall risk. Hospital Patient Safety Committees must provide ongoing training regarding patient safety goals to improve patient safety.