Will hourly hourly rounds decrease patient falls - Research Paper Example

Hourly Rounds can Decrease Patient Fall Affiliation with more information about affiliation, researchgrants, conflict of interest and how to contactHourly Rounds can Decrease Patient FallIntroduction:Hourly Rounds are conducted by the nurses in order to attend to the four Ps of the patients, which are potty, pain, position and possession. Hourly rounds by the nurses provide confidence to the patient with respect to the treatment they receive in the hospital. There seems to have some doubts regarding the relationship between patient falls and the hourly rounds by nurses.

A review of relevant research reports on the topic indicates that all the researches have been conducted upon the research question: Will hourly rounds decrease patient fall in a hospital? The sample size, instruments and the data collection methods used in all the researches is different and variable.Research purpose: To investigate will hourly rounds decrease patient fall in a hospital?Research question: Will hourly rounds decrease patient fall in a hospital?Conceptual framework: first the patient falls in a hospital is tested then the hourly rounds system is incorporated and then again the patients falls after implementing the system is checked and its effect on the patient as well as the nurses is concluded.

Study design: the study design used is based on the culture that exists in the place of the study and it is qualitative in nature.Research Reports: A study conducted at Crestwood Medical Centre in Huntsville in Alabama reports a high decrease in patient falls after the hourly round system was adopted by the nurses. Hourly rounds instituted in October 2007 were designed to reduce the number of patient falls. “The initiative, which was designed to reduce common problems associated with hospital stays, has resulted in a 58 percent decline in accidental patient falls and a 39 percent decline in bedsores” (Krischke, 2011, para. 2). When a nurse makes a round, then she makes it a point to check with the patients whether they need help for going to the washroom, or whether they need to change position etc.

Nurses also enquire about the patients’ pain and to put in place their possessions like emergency bells or calling bells, water etc which have to be kept near the bed. This will help in avoiding unassisted moves, which may entail falls and obviate the necessity for unnecessary moves.A study conducted in the surgery and the oncology departments of San Francisco General Hospital between the months of June to August 2009 reveals that there were 50% decrease in patient falls in the hospital after implementing hourly rounds system by nurses.

Hourly rounds are also necessary in intensive care units (ICU) and these will provide the patients and their relatives immense satisfaction about the patient care being provided by a hospital. Besides, there is ample evidence to suggest that the practice of hourly rounds by nurses is an effective “intervention that can be implemented to reduce the number of patient falls” (RN & Aocns, n.d., p. 1). Studies conducted in different hospitals like the Saint Joseph Regional Medical center in Plymouth reveal that the concept of hourly rounds introduced in the hospital has reduced the number of patient falls by a large number.

The study also advocates that hourly patient rounding should be done in a consistent manner so that the 4 Ps are addressed accordingly and falls can be reduced. Evidence also suggests that “A decrease in patient falls were found when rounding occurred each hour, compared to every two hours” (Nurses Improve Patient Satisfaction Through Hourly Rounding, n.d., p. 1). Moreover, another study conducted in ‘Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago’ in order to prevent its patient falls and as a part of the fall prevention program introduced the hourly round system and the result was that there was a high decrease in patient falls.

“A 20% reduction in total falls (p < 0.0001), a 15% reduction in the average hospital fall rate (p < 0.0001), and a more than doubling of the average days between falls with injuries were found when comparing 11 months of data to the previous year” (Sally et al. 2004, pp. 295-302).Sample: The sample chosen in all the research purpose has been high enough to represent a population. Data collection: Data has been collected from patients, their relatives and the hospital records of patient falls before and after the implementation of the hourly round system.

Data analysis: The data analysis has been done both quantitavely and qualitatively.The results of the study: The results of the study indicate that there has been tremendous decrease in patient falls after the implementation of the system as indicated by the four studies. Researcher’s conclusions: the researcher concludes that hourly rounds will decrease the amount of patient falls in hospitals.Analyzing each study as to its scientific merit shows that all the studies conducted have been in hospitals which are the perfect place for such a research and it has been conducted with a good sample population.

It is of high scientific importance as it is highly valid and kowneldgeful. These researches have been of high importance both externally and internally. Externally it helps in generating a new concept while internally it has reduced the number of patient falls in the organization.Conclusion:Thus, all the four studies analyzed in this paper support the view that hourly rounds will decrease the cases of patient falls in hospitals even though the study design and sample is unique in all cases. Assessing each study by its scientific merit, it is understood that the study is of high scientific importance and it provides the readers with adequate knowledge about how hourly rounds can reduce the patient falls in a hospitals.

When nurses conduct regular hourly rounds, the patient will have fewer fears because they know that the nurse will visit them at specific intervals and can get their assistance regularly. All the researches have concluded that hourly round by nurses is a very effective exercise which reduces patient falls in hospitals.Reference ListKrischke, (2011). Features: Hourly Rounds Reduce Rate of Patient Falls and Bedsores. NurseZone.com. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2011, from http://www.nursezone.com/nursing-news-events/more-features/Hourly-Rounds-Reduce-Rate-of-Patient-Falls-and-Bedsores_29440.

aspx Nurses Improve Patient Satisfaction Through Hourly Rounding, (n.d). Hourly Rounding. Print. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2011, from http://gkr-mcg.library.gatech.edu/bitstream/handle/10675.2/227/Bourgault_Hourly_Rounding.pdf?sequence=1RN, L. J. B. D & Aocns, P. W. (n.d.). Enhancing Awareness of Nurses on Fall Reduction Using the Hourly Rounding. San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Print. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2011, from http://nurseweb.ucsf.edu/conf/cripc/ebpabstract/danilaabstract.pdfSally et al. (2004). Take a Second Glance: A Novel Approach to Inpatient fall Prevention.

Ingentaconnect. Retrieved Aug. 25, 2011, from http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/jcaho/jcjqs/2004/00000030/00000006/art00001