Nurses\u2019 knowledge, attitude, and fall prevention practices at south Korean hospitals: a cross-sectional survey

Mi-Young Cho,Sun Joo Jang

doi:10.1186/s12912-020-00507-w

Abstract

BackgroundFall-prevention activities are nursing interventions which are designed to improve patient safety. The introduction of evaluations of medical institutions and an increase in medical litigation has led institutions to emphasize the importance of fall-prevention activities. The current situation regarding falls among patients in small and medium-sized hospitals is poorly understood. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding falls, and fall-prevention activities of nurses working in small- and medium-sized hospitals.MethodsNurses (N = 162) from seven small- and medium-sized hospitals participated in the study. Data on participants’ characteristics, education regarding patient falls, knowledge of stretcher cart use, attitudes regarding patient falls, and fall-prevention activities were collected from August 1 to September 1, 2016.ResultsNurses’ knowledge of patient falls was positively correlated with their experience with inpatient falls. Furthermore, nurses’ attitudes regarding falls were influenced by their nursing experience and fall prevention education. Attitudes positively correlated with fall-prevention activities, but knowledge did not. Nurses’ attitudes regarding patient falls were correlated with fall-prevention activities.ConclusionHospitals should develop incentive programs to improve nurses’ attitudes which are based on their subjective norms and tailored to each hospital’s specific circumstances to ensure engagement in fall prevention activities. In short, we recommend that consistent, repeated, and custom fall-prevention education should be implemented in small- and medium-sized hospitals to promote engagement in fall-prevention activities. Patient safety activities in small- and medium-sized hospitals can be enhanced by creating an environment that encourages active and self-directed participation in developing fall-prevention strategies using motivation and rewards.

Highlights

Fall-prevention activities are nursing interventions which are designed to improve patient safety
The present study examined nurses working in small- and medium-sized hospitals’ fall-related education and their knowledge, attitudes, and engagement in fall-prevention activities
Of the total number of participants in the study, 82 (50.6%) nurses had experienced inpatient falls and 127 (78.4%) nurses had participated in educational programs on fall prevention

Summary

Introduction

Fall-prevention activities are nursing interventions which are designed to improve patient safety. Falls in hospitals are the most frequently reported incidents among all safety accidents and can lead to significant complications in patients [1,2,3]. According to the Korea Consumer Agency’s annual report on patient safety, falls in hospitals accounted for 1522 (49.7%) of 3060 cases related to hospital safety management and constituted the largest proportion of safety accidents [6]. Some researchers have suggested that inpatient falls can indicate nursing quality [11]. For these reasons, it behooves us to better understand falls and fall-prevention practices for the well-being of patients, nurses, and hospitals alike

Results

Discussion

Conclusion