FALLS AND FALLS WITH INJURY
At St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, our staff is committed to safe care for all our patients. We have a comprehensive fall prevention plan in place, and we continue to implement national best practices to improve our fall rate.
We do a fall risk assessment on admission for all our patients, and we reassess their risk every shift throughout their stay. If a patient is identified at high risk, we have specific interventions which we put in place. We have a multidisciplinary falls task force which is constantly working to improve care to our patients. We are doing hospital wide education to promote collaboration with our staff on improvement strategies to continue to decrease patient falls.
PRESSURE ULCER PREVALENCE
St. Elizabeth's Hospital is committed to eliminating pressure ulcers. Our dedication and focus on this effort involve constant education, vigilant review of pressure ulcer risk assessment, and implementation of aggressive prevention protocols. We have purchased pressure relieving mattresses for our beds and have implemented changes in our documentation tools to insure there is twenty-four hour/day focus on prevention of pressure ulcers by all staff. A team of unit-based nurses, nutrition services and physical therapy meet regularly to review and implement best practices for pressure ulcer prevention. Each morning at Unit Pulse Rounds patients at risk for pressure injury are highlighted. This awareness ensures that patients’ skin, and risk factors are assessed daily by a Registered Nurse, and best practice interventions are instituted for every patient who is identified at risk. We have a team of certified wound nurses that are consulted for treatment of pressure injuries and prevention strategies.
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| 03 January 2024 |
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