An Evaluation of Nurses' Compliance With Pressure Ulcer and Fall Risk Assessments

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality and Safety
• Nursing Practice
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Pressure ulcers (PUs) and patient falls are significant hospital-acquired complications.
• Inadequate risk assessments contribute to the incidence and severity of PUs and falls.
• Effective interventions depend on accurate and timely patient assessments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate overall nurse compliance with PU and fall risk assessments upon hospital admission.
• To identify variations in assessment compliance rates across different hospital units.
• To inform targeted quality improvement initiatives for patient safety.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective descriptive study design adhering to STROBE guidelines.
• Data collected from all patients admitted during the 2022 calendar year.
• Analysis of compliance rates for pressure ulcer and fall risk assessments.

Main Results:

• Intensive care units (medical/surgical, burn) demonstrated high PU assessment compliance (>97%).
• Male surgical and orthopaedic wards showed lower PU assessment compliance (69%-80.6%).
• Surgical, orthopaedic, and medical wards had the lowest fall risk assessment compliance (average 69%), contrasted by high compliance in neurosurgery (95.6%).

Conclusions:

• Significant variation exists in nurse compliance with PU and fall risk assessments across hospital units.
• Identifying high-risk units is crucial for implementing targeted interventions to improve patient safety.
• Consistent assessment practices are vital for reducing PUs and falls, enhancing overall healthcare quality.