Fall Prevention and Restraints - Fundamentals of Nursing - Practice & Skills | @LevelUpRN

Key Steps — Fall prevention — the practice points

LevelUpRN's fundamentals lecture on fall prevention and restraints (Meris Shuwarger, BSN, RN). The checklist lists the practice points it teaches.

1. Assess fall risk on admission, after any change in the patient's condition, and after any fall — risk is not a one-time judgement.
2. Know the common risk factors: a previous fall, certain medications, confusion, mobility problems, and needing the toilet urgently or often.
3. Set up the environment: bed at its lowest height with brakes locked, the call bell within reach and its use shown to the patient, a clear path to the bathroom, good lighting, and belongings close at hand.
4. Non-slip footwear for every walk — never let a patient at risk walk in socks or loose slippers.
5. Assist and supervise walking and toileting for patients at risk; scheduled toileting rounds prevent the risky unassisted trip.
6. Keep assistive devices within the patient's reach and use them correctly — a walker left across the room prevents nothing.
7. Review risk with the team: sedating medicines, blood pressure that drops on standing, and new confusion all raise the chance of a fall.
8. Treat restraints as a last resort, not a fall-prevention strategy: they carry their own risks, require an order and close monitoring, and least-restrictive alternatives always come first.
9. After any fall: check for injury, complete the observations your protocol requires, inform the team, and document and report the fall.

Steps summarise this demonstration for education. Always follow your institution's protocol. More Patient Care & Mobility skills →