Nurse's interventions in preventing falls in hospitalized children: scoping review

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Research

Background:

• Hospitalization presents unique risks for pediatric falls.
• Effective fall prevention strategies are essential for child safety in healthcare settings.
• Standardized assessment tools improve the identification of at-risk children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map nursing interventions for preventing falls in pediatric patients during hospitalization.
• To identify instruments used for assessing fall risk in pediatric populations.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of current practices in pediatric fall prevention.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute protocol.
• The PCC (Population, Concept, Context) framework guided the review: children, fall preventive nursing interventions and risk assessment instruments, and hospital admission.
• Searches were performed across EBSCO, PubMed, and SciELO databases.

Main Results:

• Seven articles were included in the final sample.
• Child and family education emerged as a primary nursing intervention for fall prevention.
• Identified fall risk assessment instruments included the Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale, GRAF PIF, CUMMINGS, I'M SAFE, and CHAMPS.

Conclusions:

• Reinforcing child and parent education on preventive measures during hospitalization is vital.
• Diverse methodologies should be employed to enhance the effectiveness of educational interventions.
• The Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale was the most frequently analyzed instrument in the reviewed literature.