Select A Challenging Nursing Care Issue Examples Include Fal

Select A Challenging Nursing Care Issue Examples Include Falls Medic

Select a challenging nursing care issue (examples include falls, medication errors, pressure ulcers, and other clinical issues that can be improved by evidence in nursing). Do not select a medical issue (disease, medical treatment). Do not select a workforce issue (staffing, call-offs, nurse to patient ratios). Explain the following for the selected clinical issue. State the issue.

Explain the process you would use to search CINAHL for evidence. Include your search terms.

Paper For Above instruction

Introduction

The chosen challenging nursing care issue for this discussion is falls among hospitalized patients. Falls represent a significant concern in healthcare settings because they can lead to serious injuries, increased healthcare costs, prolonged hospital stays, and diminished patient quality of life. As a prevalent safety issue, preventing falls is a priority for nursing staff, and evidence-based strategies are essential for developing effective interventions. This paper will explore the issue of patient falls and detail the process to search CINAHL for relevant evidence, including appropriate search terms.

Understanding the Issue of Patient Falls

Patient falls are defined as unintended descents to the ground with or without injury and are a common adverse event in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020), falls are among the leading causes of injury-related death among older adults and frequently result in fractures, head injuries, and increased morbidity. Risk factors for falls include age, medication use, impaired mobility, cognitive impairment, and environmental hazards. Despite advances in patient safety, falls continue to pose a significant challenge, emphasizing the need for targeted prevention strategies grounded in evidence.

Search Strategy for CINAHL: Process and Search Terms

The process for searching CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature) involves a systematic, step-by-step approach:

1. Define the Search Question: The focus is on evidence-based interventions to prevent patient falls in healthcare settings.

2. Identify Key Concepts: The main concepts are 'falls,' 'prevention,' and 'nursing interventions.'

3. Initial Search and Exploration: Conduct a preliminary search to gauge the volume of literature using broad terms.

4. Refine Search Terms and Use Boolean Operators: Use specific keywords and Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) to narrow or broaden the search.

Based on this, the primary search terms are:

- "patient falls" OR "falls"

- "fall prevention" OR "fall risk reduction"

- "nursing interventions" OR "nursing strategies"

- "hospital" OR "healthcare setting" OR "nursing home"

5. Database Search Configuration: Use the advanced search function in CINAHL, combining keywords with Boolean operators. For example:

("patient falls" OR "falls") AND ("fall prevention" OR "fall risk reduction") AND ("nursing interventions" OR "nursing strategies") AND ("hospital" OR "healthcare setting" OR "nursing home")

6. Filters and Limits: Apply filters for peer-reviewed articles, recent publications (last 5 years), and English language to ensure current, credible evidence.

7. Review and Select Relevant Articles: Evaluate titles, abstracts, and keywords for relevance, then review selected full texts for inclusion in evidence synthesis.

Conclusion

Effective nursing practice relies heavily on evidence-based interventions to mitigate challenging issues such as patient falls. Employing a structured search strategy in CINAHL, utilizing carefully chosen search terms and Boolean operators, ensures a comprehensive review of current research. This process enables nurses to identify validated interventions that can improve patient safety outcomes, ultimately reducing the incidence and impact of falls in healthcare settings.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). Barriers and facilitators in fall prevention among older adults. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/homeandrecreationalsafety/falls/index.html

Hempel, S., Newberry, S., Wang, Z., & et al. (2013). Nursing home staff training and patient falls: A systematic review. The Gerontologist, 53(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gns083

Oliver, D., Healey, F., & Haines, T. P. (2010). Routine risk assessment tools for fall prevention in acute hospitals. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1), CD005465. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005465.pub2

Truong, D., Morris, E., & Sutherland, K. (2020). Fall prevention strategies: An update and review. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 35(3), 240–246. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000477

Sherrington, C., Tiedemann, A., Fairhall, N., & et al. (2019). Exercise for preventing falls in older people living in the community. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1), CD012424. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012424.pub2

Becker, C., & Brossart, D. (2019). Fall prevention: Evidence and practice. Nursing Clinics of North America, 54(3), 409–423. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cnur.2019.04.005

Gupta, S., & Johnson, L. (2022). Implementing fall prevention strategies in acute care: A best practices review. Journal of Nursing Administration, 52(4), 208–213. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNA.0000000000001164

Moy, N., et al. (2022). Strategies to reduce falls in healthcare settings: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 31(9-10), 1283–1299. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15989