Degree Name
Nursing Practice, DNP
Publication Date
2-20-2026
First Advisor
Sandra King
Second Advisor
Randi McCoy
Abstract
Falls increase injury and mortality rates and decrease patients' quality of life. Hospital falls also incur enormous financial burdens on hospitals. In 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) stopped reimbursing hospitals for fall-related injuries. The problem addressed in this quality improvement project was staff confidence in fall prevention and hospital fall rates. The purpose is to improve staff confidence and reduce fall rates by 95 % within six weeks. The 2025 CDC/STEADI Algorithm for Fall Risk Screening, Assessment, and Intervention was the program of choice because it aligns with the hospital's fall-prevention policy. This project design is a pre-post-intervention quasi-experimental study. The study population consists of clinical staff working on the geriatric unit. The sample size is (n=18). Fall data were collected from the unit incident report. The method involved structured staff training, guided by the 2025 CDC/STEADI Algorithm. The post-intervention t-test showed a clinically significant increase in staff confidence (p < 0.001). The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model and the Prosci ADKAR (Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability, and Reinforcement) model of change serve as the project's implementation framework. The pre- and post-intervention confidence scale (C-scale) was used to evaluate changes in staff confidence following a PowerPoint presentation. The results indicated a significant increase in staff confidence level and a decrease in fall rates. The significance of this project lies in its potential to reduce fall rates and enhance the overall patient experience.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Okoyomo, Theresa Oahre, "Quality Improvement Project: Effectiveness of Staff Education on Fall Prevention" (2026). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 298.
https://arch.astate.edu/dnp-projects/298
