Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
8-4-2025
First Advisor
Lisa Drake
Second Advisor
Jacquie Sands
Abstract
Falls among older adults in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) remain a leading cause of injury, hospitalization, and decreased quality of life. Preventing these falls requires awareness and effective staff engagement. This Quality Improvement (QI) initiative is targeted to decrease fall rates in a 90-bed SNF by educating caregivers on the significance and practice of purposeful hourly rounding. The project helped to improve staff knowledge, consistency, and accountability in implementing hourly rounding as a preventive measure. A pre- and post-intervention design was utilized. Staff members received structured educational sessions based on evidence-based guidelines, including interactive modules and printed resources. Twenty staff members completed pre- and post-intervention knowledge tests. A paired t-test demonstrated a substantial improvement in scores from 40.77% to 78.08% (p < .001). The facility showed a reduction in resident fall rates over the three-week post-intervention period. These results highlight the effectiveness of targeted education and structured rounding practices in enhancing resident safety. This project contributes to nursing practice by demonstrating that focused staff training on hourly rounding can be an effective and sustainable measure to reduce falls. It emphasizes the importance of frontline staff engagement in preventative care and offers a replicable model for other long-term care settings seeking to improve safety outcomes.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Mathew, Reena, "Quality Improvement Project Fall Prevention Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents Through Staff Education" (2025). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 134.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/134
