Evaluation of Prevention of Patients at Risk of Falls in Nurses in Inpatient Department: A Qualitative Case Study
Patient safety is an essential component of quality health services. However, patient care still has shortcomings, especially in patient safety incidents such as patients being injured due to falls. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of prevention for patients at risk of falling in nurses in the inpatient department in a hospital setting. This qualitative research with a case study approach was conducted from February to April 2024 in a government hospital in Lampung, Indonesia. A total of 20 informants consisting of 10 implementing nurses as the primary informants, one head of nursing, one secretary of the Committee for Improving Quality and Patient Safety, five heads of inpatient rooms, and three patients at risk of falling as supporting informants were recruited purposively. In-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussions, and observations were conducted for data collection. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. The implementation of prevention of patients at risk of falling in nurses in the inpatient department has been employed in the form of providing facilities, facilities, and completeness of the assessment form for patients at risk of falling, and the existence of standard operational procedures on prevention of patients at risk of falling. However, some of the available facilities are damaged and must be repaired. In addition, some nurses still need to learn how to conduct a fall risk assessment. It is recommended that the director and hospital management immediately improve facilities to support the implementation of fall risk prevention and that there be regular training for all nurses related to filling out fall risk assessments in the hospital.