Date of Graduation

Spring 5-17-2018

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

College/School

School of Nursing and Health Professions

First Advisor

Danijela Pavlic

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the time to complete fall risk assessment tools, Hendrich II Fall Risk Assessment Model (Hendrich II) and Patient Mobility Assessment Tool (PMAT) in a San Francisco Bay Area hospital. In addition, this study examined the efficacy of patients’ perceptions of their own mobility, when asked as part of the fall risk assessment process. Data was collected and analyzed on seventy-four patients across four nursing units, Medical, Surgical, Telemetry, Medical-Surgical/Oncology. The data indicated that, on average, Hendrich II took 00:01:49 minutes and PMAT took 00:04:12 minutes when completed separately. When asked about their own mobility level, 66 out of 74 patients, or 89.12 percent, could accurately predict their mobility and assistance level. In conclusion, fall risk assessment tools do not require much time to complete, especially when combined with nursing assessments already in place. Moreover, patients are reliable sources of their mobility and assistance level and, when time is limited, patients’ perceptions can be substituted for the actual performance test of the assessment tools. Ideally, patient and nurse communication and collaboration is used to complete the fall risk assessment to maintain patient and provider safety.

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