Quality and Safety Issue in Healthcare

Patient Accidents in Hospital: Falls with Injuries
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Patient Accidents in Hospitals: Falls with Injuries
Falls with injuries is a safety problem experienced in many hospitals. This problem is a leading cause of death due to the complications or risks it poses (Knickman & Kovner, 2015). The possible causes of falls among patients include an extended stay in the hospital and lack of experience among nurses. Lack of patient supervision by the nurses due to heavy workload also contributes to patient injury (Hughes, 2008). Falls cause patient injury and loss of life. Thus, an increase in the number of patients with injuries resulting from falls attracts legal issues for the health institutions and creates economic burdens not only on the affected individuals but also the healthcare system.
The engagement of patients and families in the process of establishing fall safety and training of nurses on patient safety is an effective way of managing patient-related injuries. These two approaches will ensure that both the healthcare practitioners and the patients are empowered to prevent any fall injuries within the hospital premises. DuPree, Fritz-Campiz, and Musheno (2014) argue that patients and families need to be enlightened about the possible causes, ways of prevention, and how to minimize injuries in case such an incident occurs (Knickman & Kovner, 2015).
Nurses, on the other hand, need to undergo thorough training on patient safety to reduce the cases of fall injuries.

The involvement of patients in the fall safety process addresses the patient-centered aim of improvement in healthcare that the Institute of Medicine developed (Institute of Medicine and Nursing Academies, 2012). Patients’ involvement in decision making promotes a feeling of responsibility and empowerment. The training of nurses is a strategy that addresses the aim of providing safe care to patients since they acquire the skills and knowledge needed to handle patients with care during service delivery.
Hospitals can foster inter-professional collaboration among healthcare practitioners to minimize incidences of fall injuries. Case in point, doctors should communicate to nurses on time regarding a patient’s physical and mental state and any possibility of falls. The pharmacists should also provide clear instructions on the administration of drugs that are likely to cause fall injuries. Lastly, architectures should consult with nurses, doctors, and the management before establishing structures to ensure they are environmentally friendly to patients.

References
DuPree, E., Fritz-Campiz, A., & Musheno, D. (2014). A new approach to preventing falls with injuries. Journal of nursing care quality, 29(2), 99-102.
Hughes, R. G. (2008). Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/Knickman, J. R., & Kovner, A. R. (2015). Health Care Delivery in the United States. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2012). Crossing the quality chasm: The IOM Health Care Quality Initiative. Retrieved October 3, 2017, from http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2001/Crossing-the-Quality-Chasm/Quality%20Chasm%202001%20%20report%20brief.pdf