JNENS Journal

Abstract

Background: Falls are a significant concern in hospitals due to the potential for adverse outcomes, including injuries, and increased healthcare costs. Continuous video monitoring allows staff to watch high fall risk patients via a 2-way camera and permit additional time for team members to arrive before a fall occurs Implementation of baby monitors for patients with TBIs has been proposed to reduce the incidence of falls. Purpose: Using the PET model to guide decision-making, this project aims to determine whether implementation of baby monitors for patients with TBIs reduces the incidence of falls in an acute care unit. Method: A literature search was conducted using ProQuest Summon aggregated search service accessed through Randall Library. This included five meta-analyses. Results: Despite limitations in the studies, the reviewed literature indicates that implementation of baby monitors for patients with TBIs significantly reduces the incidence of falls. Conclusion: Based upon the literature review, a change in practice to routine, implementation of baby monitors for TBI patients is recommended in the proposed EBP implementation unit to prevent falls. Implications: A change in practice to implementing baby monitors is feasible given the cost decrease of a 1 to 1 sitter, availability of monitoring equipment, and nurse and patient education at the unit and facility level. A change to the practice would involve several levels of the organization, including healthcare professionals, IT experts, nursing, ethics committee, and legal.