Prevention of fallings using the “Check Board” in palliative care unit

Abstract

This paper attempts to visualize and share the patients' information by using the “Check Board” to prevent fallings.

First, the report of falling incidents was checked and reviewed of the nurse-attitude survey from July 2011 was conducted before the start of the use of the check board in March 2012. With this review, the Check Board was constructed for the preventive management of falling, with list of information on each hospitalized patient regarding required assistant level (level of independency), excretion care and methods, frequency of injection and tubing, and bed fence information. The members of the staff reviewed the board daily and shared the information. The incidence rate, situation of the fall, contributing factor as well as the nurse-attitude after the introduction of the board were investigated.

Falling reduced to thirteen incidents from twenty-two, and the falling rate per day improved significantly from 7.5/thousand people to 2.7/thousand people compared to the survey taken between 2011 and 2012 (p<0.01). Incidents at toilet use showed an improvement from fourteen to eight (p<0.05). Nurses' attitudes for the patients' care (such as variance of patient daily condition) showed improvement in the attitude survey taken after the implementation of the board.

By sharing the information of all patients by using “Check board”, it is possible to say that the goal of reducing the number of fall incidents was achieved.