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Creators: Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation
Creators: Thrall, Charlotte
Member of: Programs and Communities

Tai Chi for Falls Prevention: A Student-Led DNP Project

Description

Aim: To reduce the fear of falling in an elderly population by teaching ‘Tai Chi for Falls Prevention’ classes twice a week for 12 weeks.

Background & Significance: Falls continue to be the leading cause of injury-related deaths of Arizonans who are 65 years or older - well above the national average. It is predicted that by 2030, national medical spending for this population will total over $31 billion, yearly. Tai Chi is revered for being a beneficial form of simple, low-impact exercise, which the CDC endorses for its falls risk reduction benefits.

Methods: The intervention consisted of 60-minute classes occurring twice a week for 12 weeks. Participants were English-speaking, between 65-85 years old, and able to ambulate independently. Appropriate pre-screening tools were used before applicants consented. Their Fear of Falling (FoF) was measured using a fall risk perception tool at the beginning, middle, and the end of the project. This ordinal data was analyzed with Friedman ANOVA using SPSS 25

Outcomes/Results: After enrolling five total participants, only three completed the project. This severely limited data analysis of their FoF, resulting in a statistical significance (p = 0.68), deeming the intervention ineffective - Despite observable downwards trending FoF scores.

Conclusion: The acceptance of the null hypothesis is attributed to the low enrollment and high attrition rate. Also, the only data measured was quantifiable, subjective data. Future projects could add objective data to reinforce the benefits of Tai Chi. This might reinforce the validity of Tai Chi as a practical recommendation due to its cost-effective simple interventional design and effectiveness for prevention of accidental falls. Increased focus on improved recruitment & retainment strategies should be prioritized for similar projects in the future.

ContributorsSawicki, Graham C. (Author) / Thrall, Charlotte (Thesis advisor)

Created2019-04-15

Implementation of Post-Fall Nursing Peer Reviews to Improve Patient Safety Culture

Description

Falls in hospitalized patients are a widespread occurrence in the United States, resulting in unfavorable outcomes amongst patients, healthcare providers, and hospital organizations. Current fall prevention efforts have failed to adequately reduce patient fall rates. Nursing peer review (NPR) seeks to refine the quality and safety of patient care, making its use applicable in post-fall reviews. This evidenced-based quality improvement project implements a post-fall NPR program to examine patient falls in an inpatient setting, in addition to the facilitation of patient safety culture education. The Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture was used to assess nurses’ perceptions of their units’ patient safety culture. The pre- and post-survey results were analyzed using a two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test, determining significant differences in event (U=2033, z=-2.81, p=.005) and learning (U=1196, z=-2.52, p=.012). No significant differences were noted in support (U=1587, z=-0.05, p=.959), prevent (U=1369, z=-0.70, p=.485), and rate (U=1355.5, z=-0.34, p=.737). Post-fall NPR participation survey results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, showing that it improved patient safety culture (n=10, 91%), reduced “blame & shame” culture (n=9, 82%), and was a non-punitive learning method (n=10, 91%). Reviewing falls through NPR and educating nurses on patient safety culture can create a positive environment to learn from falls. Additional research is needed to determine the impact on patient fall rates.

ContributorsBlythe, M. Lindsay (Author) / Morgan, Michelle (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)

Created2022-04-28

Fall Prevention Assessment Education in Community Dwelling Older Adults

Description

Background and Significance Falls are considered a problem of increasing proportion for older adults all over the world. Falls account for a large portion of injuries, hospitalizations, and death for persons over 65 years old. Research shows that risk factors for falls are multifactorial and modifiable. As such, falls should not be recognized as a natural part of aging, but as an increasing characteristic of frailty. Patient and caregiver education about how to identify and modify fall risk factors so that injurious falls and recurrent falls can be avoided. Methods Telephone interviews were conducted and recorded with employees and residents of an independent living facility about their history and knowledge of falls within the community. Content analysis was conducted to assess for common themes and concerns related to falls. Results Five participants, consisting of three residents living in a large HUD housing complex for older adults and two employees who work at the complex were interviewed. Results of the interview show that there is a generalized fear or awareness of the dangers of falling either in the home or within the community, but a lack of awareness of some of the risk factors. Discussion By analyzing gaps in knowledge of this housing complex, fall risk education can be tailored to their fall risk concerns and knowledge gaps and possibly help to reduce future falls for older adults. Keywords: community dwelling, older adults, fall risk

ContributorsMcClain, Danielle (Author) / Uriri-Glover, Johannah (Thesis advisor) / Arizona State University. College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation (Contributor)

Created2021-05-02