Title : Implementation of bedside mobility assessment tool to prevent falls
Abstract:
Background: Falls can cause serious adverse health outcomes. A significant increase in fall rates and fall related patient injury rates within the inner city community hospital occurred 1.5 times higher than the national benchmark. One medical surgical unit was accountable for more than 50% of the organization's falls despite comprehensive fall prevention.
Purpose: This project describes implementing and evaluating the Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool (BMAT) to reduce patient falls and fall related injuries among medical surgical patients.
Methods: This project was implemented over 15 weeks between September 5, 2021, and December 18, 2021. Unit secretaries were educated on workflow through in person training, and nurses and nursing support technicians completed an online training module and in person training. The BMAT assessment tool was implemented for patients who were admitted or transferred. Training data were collected using an online learning system, and project outcome data were collected through chart audits and the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) data on falls and fall related injuries per 1,000 patient days.
Results: 58% of nurses and one hundred percent of unit secretaries were educated. 58% of total admitted patients during the project period were screened with BMAT. 100% of patients screened with BMAT received implementation of mobility safety plans. There were nine weeks without fall incidences during the project period, but there was no significant change in overall NDNQI fall data. However, falls occurred 1.8 times higher among unscreened patients.
Conclusions: This quality improvement project demonstrated that implementing BMAT is a feasible and meaningful fall prevention tool in the medical surgical unit. BMAT provides evidence based guidance for nursing staff to screen patients mobility levels and implement a safe patient mobility plan as part of the fall prevention strategy.
