Injuries caused by falls are a common and serious problem, but there are multifactorial fall prevention programs that help to minimize the number of falls. The purpose of this essay is to define the strategy of implementing the nursing practice intervention in the “South Florida Doctors Group” to prevent falls. The strategy contains three important steps for the clinic in order to reduce the risks of falls: education, the change of environment, and increasing physical activity.
The first step for implementing the nursing practice intervention is an informational campaign that includes distributing written material and organizing lectures for medical staff and patients. Staff training is also an important part of this strategy as it implies not only gaining theoretical knowledge but applying the new approach in the everyday life of the clinic (Hopewell et al., 2018). Raising awareness of the problem is important as it encourages the patients and the staff to treat the issue of fall prevention more responsibly.
The second part is adapting the clinic’s environment, decreasing the risks of falls. To do this, mechanisms that support personal mobility, such as walking aids and anti-slip devices, should be used. It is essential to use video monitoring and communication devices that allow patients to ask for help in an emergency. The important part is the regulation of urinary incontinence, including assisted toileting (Hopewell et al., 2018). Changing the environment will help make the clinic safer for patients who struggle with mobility.
The third step is to support the patient’s health on a level that makes physical activity easier. It includes providing patients with exercises that help to train their sense of balance and increase strength and flexibility. It is possible to combine this method with medication and vitamin supplementations (Hopewell et al., 2018). Providing physical activity will serve to improve patients’ mobility and prevent many cases of falls.
In conclusion, the risk of fall injuries should be treated as a safety issue. The clinic should implement the fall prevention program on three different levels: educational, environmental, and physical therapy. It is important not just to describe the problem but to provide the changes in the service model. Combining these three approaches will help to lessen the risk of trauma caused by falls.
Reference
Hopewell, S., Adedire, O., Copsey, B.J., Boniface, G.J., Sherrington, C., Clemson, L., Close, J., & Lamb, S.E. (2018). Multifactorial and multiple component interventions for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (7), 1-261. Web.