NURS FPX 6016 Assessment 3 Data Analysis and Quality Improvement Initative Proposal

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 6016 Quality Improvement of Interprofessional Care

Prof. Name

Date

Data Analysis and Quality Improvement Initiative Proposal

Good morning, everybody. I am ………… Today, we are going to analyze the critical concern of patient falls at Springfield General Hospital in detail; specifically, we will look into adverse events such as John’s fall, which unveiled areas for lapses in communication, failure to follow set safety protocols, and monitoring of patients. Statistics show that these accidents result in avoidable harm, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased hospital readmission. Thus, our quality improvement initiative has drawn on the PDSA framework to identify these challenges and address them through enhanced fall-risk assessments, training for staff members, and appropriate use of certain technologies such as bed alarms and EHR alerts. We can and will create safer environments supportive of both the patients and staff while significantly reducing the rates of falls.

Analysis of Health Care Issues

Data reveals that the patient falls issue in Springfield General Hospital is a persistent health concern: it reveals fall rates within the healthcare facility exceed the set national benchmark standards. Though the national benchmark for fall rates reported was 3.44 falls per 1,000 patient bed days (Venema et al., 2019), the health facility reported 6.2 fall rates in 2021, 6.4 in 2022, and 6.7 in 2023. These indicate an exceptional deviation from the expected performance. Moreover, patient satisfaction scores decreased from 85% in 2021 to 70% in 2023, suggesting that safety concerns could be related to the perceived quality of care by the patients. Also, the average hospital stay length increased from 4.2 days in 2021 to 5.1 days in 2023, indicating possible fall-related injuries complications.

The quality of the data is reliable, as it derives from hospital performance records and validated reporting systems. Nevertheless, additional insights are required to identify cause-and-effect factors. Relying on a greater measure of quantification will limit understanding without complementary qualitative data, such as interviews with staff, feedback from patients, or direct observational audits. Such inclusions may contribute to a more holistic assessment of the causes and opportunities for improvement.

Metric	2021	2022	2023	National Benchmark
Fall Rate (per 1000 bed days	6.2	6.4	6.7	3.44
Patient Satisfaction (%)	85 %	78 %	70 %	–
Average Hospital Stay	4.2	4.6	5.1	–

Recommendations for Quality Improvement

General Hospital will standardize using the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) for fall-risk assessments in all patient units. This standardized tool helps a health care professional to assess the risk of falls in patients based upon a set of criteria that includes having had falls in the past, mobility problems, and mental status. The hospital seeks to enhance the identification of fall risks in patients. At the same time, interventions are promptly conducted to help prevent falls by encouraging its utilization through general training of its staff and frequent assessments (Baumann et al., 2022).
Springfield General Hospital should ensure a better understanding of what has been achieved in fall prevention by undertaking patient satisfaction surveys on fall prevention and safety measures. These surveys will collect important feedback from patients regarding their perception of the hospital’s fall prevention policies, the effectiveness of personnel communication, and overall safety and security. This will allow for better refining of the strategy, keeping in view the patient’s perspectives while implementing fall prevention strategies in the future (Dykes et al., 2020).

Quality Improvement Initiative Proposal

The fall-prevention quality improvement initiative at Springfield General Hospital will be conducted during a designed PDSA cycle toward continuous improvement. During the Plan phase, the hospital will standardize MFS to assess the fall risk for all patient units. This scale will rate how likely a patient is to experience an unintentional fall due to factors like a history of falls, mobility problems, and mental status. In addition, the hospital will emphasize training staff members on the consistent use of MFS. The hospital will also frequently assess which patients are at risk and ensure prompt interventions (Baumann et al., 2022).

Patient satisfaction surveys will be proposed to collect feedback on fall prevention and safety measures; this would give insight into whether a productive fall-reduction protocol is in place from the patient’s point of view. This will refine the approach of the hospital and ensure that strategies match the needs and expectations of the patients (Dykes et al., 2020).In the Doing phase, Springfield General Hospital will engage in training staff to ensure that fall risks are identified using the Morse Fall Scale in a consistent and effective manner. The patient satisfaction survey will be administered to assess the extent to which the hospital’s fall prevention measures are perceived and how they affect overall safety and care satisfaction.

NURS FPX 6016 Assessment 3 Data Analysis and Quality Improvement Initative Proposal

A post-fall review system will be used to assess missed intervention opportunities and to refine protocols. During the Study phase, the hospital will analyze data from the fall rate, survey feedback, and fall review outcomes to assess the impact of these interventions. All changes in protocol will be made based on this data. Findings from the surveys and continuing assessments will drive improvements and adjustments that will help improve patient safety and reduce fall rates over time.The fall-prevention quality improvement initiative at Springfield General Hospital identifies several key knowledge gaps and areas of uncertainty.

First, there is limited understanding of the specific causes behind patient falls, particularly about patient demographics such as age, comorbidities, and medication use. More detailed data on these factors could refine risk assessments and prevention strategies. Second, while the Morse Fall Scale (MFS) will be standardized for use across all patient units, it is unclear how consistently and effectively it is currently utilized by staff. A closer examination of staff adherence to the MFS and any barriers to its use would provide valuable insights for improving its implementation. Finally, while patient satisfaction surveys will offer feedback on fall prevention, further qualitative research, such as interviews or focus groups, could provide deeper insights into patient perceptions of fall-prevention strategies and safety measures.

Interprofessional Perspectives Integration

In order to improve patient safety, cost-effectiveness, and work-life quality within Springfield General Hospital, it is crucial for the interprofessional staff, including nurses, physical therapists, and physicians, to continue their collaborative work on the fall prevention initiative. Nurses should continue using the Morse Fall Scale to assess patients for fall risk and apply fall prevention strategies to those at risk (Baumann et al., 2022). The physical therapists will continue to work with patients to improve mobility and strength. In contrast, physicians will offer guidance about medication changes and other medical conditions that could affect a person’s propensity for falling. Regular feedback and positive communication among these team members can ensure protocols are followed optimally, optimized interventions, and reduced fall rates (Heng et al., 2022).

However, there are assumptions in such actions; for instance, that staff will always fall prevention by following strict protocol and utilizing fall-prevention technology, such as bed alarms and EHR alerts appropriately. It is also assumed that the patients will be positive on mobility interventions and that physician prescriptions regarding medication will be put into action appropriately. To address knowledge gaps, specifically when working with complex patient cases, further training and technology integration must be implemented to enhance the fall-prevention strategy’s general effectiveness and support the initiative’s long-term success (Baumann et al., 2022).

Effective Collaboration Strategies

One successful approach that would enhance quality improvement in fall prevention at Springfield General Hospital is collaboration-based teamwork integrating diversified professional expertise (Jiang et al., 2024). Nurses, physical therapists, and physicians provide important fall-risk assessments, mobility interventions, and medical management. Nurses utilize the Morse Fall Scale to assess fall risk. Physical therapists design mobility-enhancing interventions, and physicians offer insights into medications and health conditions that may increase falls.

Regular communication and joint decision-making ensure a unified approach to care, which enhances the hospital’s ability to implement timely and effective fall prevention measures (Heng et al., 2022). The gains of this strategy presuppose that team members will collaborate well, adhere to standardized protocols, and assimilate relevant technologies. It also presumes predictable patient responses to the interventions. Overcoming potential challenges and enhancing the effective implementation of these strategies will require further training and continuous outcome assessment for knowledge gaps, adherence, and maximization of patient safety.

Conclusion

In conclusion, addressing the issue of patient falls at Springfield General Hospital should be a well-rounded and interprofessional approach focusing on data-driven strategies and integrating the perspectives of all professionals’ perspectives. Standardized use of the Morse Fall Scale, conducting patient satisfaction surveys, and utilizing real-time technology for tracking mobility can significantly reduce fall rates and improve patient safety. This kind of organizational policy, uninterrupted training of the staff, good communication among healthcare workers, and filling knowledge gaps will be essential to maintaining the success of these initiatives. Committed to ongoing assessment and improvement, Springfield General Hospital will ensure the safety of patients and staff, ultimately enhancing the quality of care delivered.

References

Baumann, I., Wieber, F., Volken, T., Rüesch, P., & Glässel, A. (2022). Interprofessional collaboration in fall prevention: Insights from a qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(17), 10477. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710477

Dykes, P. C., Burns, Z., Adelman, J., Benneyan, J., Bogaisky, M., Carter, E., Ergai, A., Lindros, M. E., Lipsitz, S. R., Scanlan, M., Shaykevich, S., & Bates, D. W. (2020). Evaluation of a patient-centered fall-prevention tool kit to reduce falls and injuries. JAMA Network Open, 3(11), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.25889

Heng, H., Kiegaldie, D., Slade, S. C., Jazayeri, D., Shaw, L., Knight, M., Jones, C., Hill, A.-M., & Morris, M. E. (2022). Healthcare professional perspectives on barriers and enablers to falls prevention education: A qualitative study. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0266797. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0266797