Collegian
Volume 14, Issue 2 , Pages 20-25, 2007

Evidence-based Management Practice: Reducing Falls in Hospital

  • Catherine McKinley, RN, RM, BSc FACHSE, Assoc. FRCNA

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Mandurah, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Ann Fletcher

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Ann Biggins, RN

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Anne McMurray, RN, PhD, FRCNA MA

      Affiliations

    • Murdoch University and Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationProfessor Anne McMurray
    • ,
  • Sue Birtwhistle, RN

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Leonie Gardiner, RN

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Sharron Lampshire, RN

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Norah Noake, RN

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia
    • ,
  • Judith Lockhart, BSc, BPharm(Hons) MPS

      Affiliations

    • Peel Health Campus, Western Australia

Article Outline

This paper reports on a falls prevention and management program at one regional Western Australian hospital. The report focuses on the processes and outcomes of a quality management initiative to reduce falls in hospital to illustrate the nexus between research and quality improvement in clinical practice. The Falls Prevention program was based on statistical evidence of the level of risk in the hospital and development of an evidence-based multidimensional, multidisciplinary program to reduce the risks of falling and the number of falling events. Evaluative data demonstrate the effectiveness of the program in terms of a substantial reduction in falls. The program illustrates the value of evidence-based practice, particularly in relation to evidence-based management practice. It supports the merits of creating an organisational climate where all clinicians are encouraged to use research data to plan strategies for quality improvement and risk management and, in the process, advance clinical nursing knowledge development.

Key words:  evidence-based practice , management , nursing practice , falls prevention , hospital care

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PII: S1322-7696(08)60551-X

doi:10.1016/S1322-7696(08)60551-X

Collegian
Volume 14, Issue 2 , Pages 20-25, 2007

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