Keywords

accidental falls, fall prevention, patient falls, patient safety, safety management

Authors

1. Knight, Margaret PhD, RN, PMHCNS-BC
2. Coakley, Catherine MS, RN

Abstract

Patients receiving acute care for the treatment of psychotic disorders are at risk for falling. Complex medication regimens initiated to manage psychomotor agitation, lability, and aggression can contribute to physiological instability that may not be identified easily by clinicians. This quality improvement initiative identified prescribing practices associated with risk for falling and established a simple mechanism to monitor pharmacological treatment, which resulted in a reduction of the fall rate from 6.0 to 0.46.