Introduction
In healthcare facilities, patient safety is a key concern, and several efforts have been established to enhance the well-being of sick persons. Despite the commitments, some loopholes still exist, which endanger the lives of patients. Pediatric falls constitute a significant issue that complicates hospital care for young adults and infants. It presents more risks to the children and nurses since some other injuries, such as body fractures, can occur during falls. It requires intense research to formulate ways by which the problem can be reduced to improve the safety of sick children. The study will examine the effects of patient falls and techniques that hospitals and nurses can employ to curve the challenge.
Background of Pediatric Falls
Pediatric falls are the unintentional fall of hospitalized children, resulting in injury or related emergencies. In most cases, sick children fall due to an unfamiliar environment, the type of medication given, and a painful process. Some active cases that can accelerate falling among young ones are impulsivity, learning to use washrooms, and bouncing on their beds. According to some studies, the relative estimated pediatric falls are about 0.58 to 2.2 per 1000 patients (AlSowailmi et al., 2018). The rate is slightly below the average adult patient’s, but it can lead to minor or severe harm. Patient falls have been a health safety concern over the past decades and have currently prompted. The culture of safety became a priority in healthcare in 2004 following reports of increased death of young ones related to falls.
Prevention of pediatric falls is an important safety measure that would ensure a reduction in the rate of patient falls. Understanding the aspect is essential in facilitating maximum care of children within healthcare facilities. Reducing the occurrences can motivate nurses to continue providing relative preventive measures. Cultivating effective culture is necessary and provides a comprehensive perspective of managing possible emergencies that can arise from accidents. The safety aspect is of interest to me because it creates an opportunity in healthcare to explore and find solutions to pediatric falls concerns. It also increases patient safety thus promoting their well-being within the facility.
Nursing Practices That Reduce Patient Falls
Nurses have vital roles to play in managing, and reducing patient falls within the facilities. There are several ways by which nursing practices can positively impact and enhance the culture of safety in healthcare units. Having a deep understanding of the facilities, nurses can offer education and proper information to the children and related parties about the possible cause of patients’ falls. This would facilitate informed practices and increase awareness, thus promoting the individual safety of the young ones. Similarly, nurses can ensure there are warning signs visible to children and relatives within the hospitals. Proper symbols would alert the parents about the risk of falls, thus encouraging them to be watchful of the young ones at all times. Placing marks that indicate a slippery floor enables people to be cautious and therefore take effective measures to prevent accidents.
Furthermore, caregivers should ensure the patients are always in their sight. Keeping a close watch on children can be an effective measure of reducing possible topples amongst hospitalized children. The close monitor would allow the nurse to identify situations that can cause falls and then act swiftly to prevent them. In case of commitments, the professional should ensure there is an adult closely monitoring the activities of toddlers, such as playing on beds or running in the facilities (Shala et al., 2019). In addition, practitioners can offer mobility aids to patients to facilitate easy and comfortable movement. Enough body support would ensure chances of children falling are reduced.
Caregivers should also ensure patients’ footwear are appropriate and cannot put them at risk of falling. This would reduce the possibility of children tumbling, which can threaten their safety in hospital care facilities. Nurses should make sure all the children within the facility have non-slippery shoes, and they don them anytime they are walking. Therefore, practicing such nursing measures would promote a culture of safety. Another effective nursing practice is lowering the child’s bed to a level that can lower the impact in the event of an accident. Highly raised bedsteads are most likely to increase the falling rate of young ones, especially when they are trying to come out without the support of their caregivers. In addition, the practitioners should ensure breaks and firmly attached with rails properly raised to a level comfortable for young ones. Moreover, nurses can assess the effects of medication to influence the possibility of a patient falling. When there is a positive correlation between pediatric falls and the treatment, caregivers can opt to use a different medicine that has no effects to minimize the risk of falling.
Personal Impacts in Improving Culture of Safety
To facilitate the culture of safety within the hospital facility, I would ensure all nurses in the health unit are well equipped with the knowledge of the Humpty Dumpty teaching tool. The toolkit is essential in assessing the age, cognitive impairments, medication usage, diagnosis, and environmental factors that are crucial determinants of falling rates in the care units (Chhipa & Chan-Galapon, 2021). Encouraging the implementation of the assessment tool would make nurses insight into possible areas that can increase pediatric falls in the facility.
I can also improve the culture of safety by advising and encouraging caregivers to take and implement ways that can enhance care. Inspiring nurses to improve the level of supervision is significant in ensuring accidental falls are mitigated. When practitioners are motivated, they will similarly value the measures as treatment. I would also enlighten patients and other caregivers about environmental factors that can contribute to the toppling of children.
Conclusion
In summary, the research provides deep insight into pediatric falls. Providing safe care is a concern for health facilities and practitioners to ensure patients do not incur other injuries. Various factors influence children’s falls, such as medication, lack of proper knowledge of the environment, and painful procedures. Falling affects sick children by making them suffer minor and severe injuries prolonging their recovery. Over the decades, safety culture issues have prompted researchers and health organizations to formulate effective countermeasures. Nursing practice plays a significant role in promoting the care and well-being of patients within the health facility. Nurses should educate and inform children about the causes of falling to increase their awareness of its dangers. They can also use their experience to examine the effects of medication and change it related to patients’ tumbling. I would ensure the Humpty Dumpty assessment tool is well understood, and that practitioners have adequate knowledge about how it helps manage pediatric falls.
References
AlSowailmi, B. A., AlAkeely, M. H., AlJutaily, H. I., Alhasoon, M. A., Omair, A., & AlKhalaf, H. A. (2018). Prevalence of fall injuries and risk factors for fall among hospitalized children in a specialized children’s hospital in Saudi Arabia.Annals of Saudi Medicine, 38(3), 225-229. Web.
Chhipa, A. K., & Chan-Galapon, M. (2021). A quality improvement project to decrease falls on in-patient pediatric units.Pediatric Quality & Safety, 6(1). Web.
Shala, D. R., Brogan, F., Cruickshank, M., Kornman, K., & Sheppard‐Law, S. (2019). Exploring Australian parents’ knowledge and awareness of pediatric inpatient falls: A qualitative study.Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 24(4), e12268. Web.