FACTORS AFFECTING NURSES’ APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY MEASURES TO PREVENT FALLS AMONG GERIATRIC PATIENTS IN FOUR HOSPITALS IN ALEXANDRIA

Abstract

Background: Falls of geriatric patients during their hospitalization are important and lead to increase in the period of hospitalization with worse recovery conditions.

Aim: To determine factors affecting nurses' application of environmental safety measures to prevent falls among geriatric patients in four hospitals in Alexandria.

Materials and Method: The study was carried out in different inpatient wards and units in four types of hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. The study sample consisted of 296 nurses.

Tools: Three tools were used in this study: socio-demographic structured interview schedule, an observational checklist of nurses' application of safety measures, and nurses' knowledge about fall prevention questionnaire.

Results: Nurses working in the private hospital had lower mean score of knowledge about fall prevention and higher mean score of applying safety measures to prevent falls than nurses working in the other hospitals. Also, there are positive significant relations between level of knowledge and application among nurses working in the governmental hospitals and there is a negative relation between nurses' level of knowledge and their application in the private hospital.

Recommendations: In-service training program should be planned and offered periodically to nurses to update their knowledge and improve their skills about safety measures to prevent falls and fall-related injuries this will affect positively the quality of care provided.