Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service Prepared by Joanne MacMillan - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Prepared by Joanne MacMillan CNC Aged Care / Dementia] NSHNS

May 2012

Enrolled Nurses Take on Falls Program

Northern Sydney Home Nursing Service

How did we motivate our EN’s to take on the falls program?

 NSHNS has been using a falls program since 2007  Our service has both RN’s and EN’s  We are a busy nursing service, most of our patients are complex  RN’s have case loads and found it difficult to manage both case loads and Falls programs

Strategies

 To develop a ‘Falls Risk Assessment Tool’  Development of a falls prevention education pack for patients( Folder with information)  Rollout of a video and booklet on Falls Program (Black & White Booklet)2  Falls Program staff education

Included:

 Undertaking a falls risk assessment screen on all patients

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 A falls prevention home program was implemented by nurses initially to be conducted over 4 week period  A falls prevention information pack for patients and carers was provided by nurses as part of the education pack  Three (3) Month trial in all 6 centres of the Home Exercise Program which was facilitated by nurses using the NSCCH Health Promotion resources 2

Implementation

Following Trial

 Staff focus groups reported the tools were relevant and easy to use

 88% of patients found program useful  56% experienced an increase in function & mobility  64% were still doing some form of exercise on a daily basis & found ongoing support would be beneficial for continuity  85% patients had Falls Risk Assessment Tool completed

Recommendations

 Falls champions for each centre  Amendments made to Falls Risk Assessment Tool  Embedded the ongoing supervision of this program within the Aged Care / Dementia CNC role  Falls Working Party continues to meet quarterly  Utilisation of Enrolled Nurses as the main facilitators of the program at each NSHNS site – RN’s reported increase in workload made it difficult to complete the program as part of their care – ENs expressed interest in facilitating program as this provided them with an increase in responsibility in their role.

Enrolled Nurses

 Enrolled nurses take on the falls program with great enthusiasm  They enjoy being a resource person to other staff members  They also feel that they are taking on their own case load and have some responsibility  The EN is well supported by the NUM and Aged care/ Dementia CNC

REFERENCES

1. NSW Health 2008 2. Falls Prevention…… M Armstrong. NS&CC Coordinator NSW Falls Policy | NS and CC LHDs