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Description
EBP
Practice Problem: In 2023, our Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) had 8 falls, 5 with injuries, up from zero falls with injury in 2022. Enhancing patient and family education on fall risks and prevention is crucial for improving safety and reducing falls.
Literature: Falls in an EMU are common adverse events. Patients with epilepsy are at increased risk of falls due to seizures. In the EMU, seizures are provoked by changing medications, sleep patterns, and stimulation, increasing fall risk and possible injury.
Practice Change(s): For planned EMU admissions, we developed additional seizure-specific education for patients and families, sent prior to admission and reviewed upon arrival and each shift. We also added "Call Don't Fall" signage and ceiling tiles in patient rooms.
Implementation/Pilot Testing: We developed a workgroup compiled of bedside nurses, a clinical nurse specialist, advanced practice provider, and unit leadership to research falls in other EMUs to see what practices we could incorporate to keep our patients safe. The practice changes were implemented beginning in December 2023.
Outcomes: For January to July 2024, we had four total falls and zero falls with injury in our EMU.
Recommendations/Conclusions: It is our hope that families are prepared for their EMU admission. Families need to know what to expect when admitted into our EMU and to work with us to keep their child safe. Educating families has globally shown to be the most effective approach in reducing fall rates, as there is not a single fall prevention intervention that works for every patient.
Publication Date
9-27-2024
Keywords
EBP, Evidence-Based Pracitce, Evidence-Based Nursing, Epilepsy, EMU, Fall Prevention
Disciplines
Pediatric Nursing
Recommended Citation
Cochrum, Bailey, "Fall Prevention Strategies in a Pediatric Epilepsy Monitoring Unit" (2024). 2024. 31.
https://scholarlycollection.childrens.com/nursing-anf2024/31
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
