• To acknowledge the importance of using multifactorial falls risk assessment and multidomain, personalised interventions to reduce falls risks in hospitals
• To read about strategies used by nurse leaders to support delivery of falls prevention practices in hospitals
• To recognise the actions required to support nurse leaders to deliver multifactorial falls prevention practices in hospitals
Despite prevention efforts, falls in hospital are a common and ongoing safety concern, with older people more likely to fall and experience harm as a result of falls. Clinical guidelines recommend multifactorial falls risk assessment and multidomain, personalised interventions to reduce falls risks in hospitals. This article reflects on findings from a multi-site study on the implementation of multifactorial falls prevention practices that informed the development of actionable guidance. The discussion focuses on strategies used by nurse leaders, at different levels of seniority, that shaped practice on orthopaedic and older person wards. While falls risk assessment documentation was monitored routinely by senior leaders, in practice falls prevention often relied on risk screening and enhanced patient supervision. Findings suggest that nurses need to be empowered to lead practices that modify and mitigate individual falls risks where possible, with greater multidisciplinary and patient and carer involvement.
Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1478
Peer reviewThis article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software
Correspondence Conflict of interestNone declared
Alvarado N, McVey L, Hardiker N et al (2024) Strategies used by nurse leaders to support the delivery of falls prevention practices in hospitals. Nursing Older People. doi: 10.7748/nop.2024.e1478
Published online: 21 August 2024
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