Journal of Gerontological Nursing
Vol. 29 No. 11 November 2003
By Stephanie B. Hoffman, PhD; Gail Powell-Cope, PhD, ARNP; Leah MacClellan, MSPH; Kim Bero, MS, RKT
ABSTRACT
In response to heightened awareness of patient safety, restraint reduction, and the potential for life-threatening entrapment caused by bed rails, a quality improvement program entitled BedSAFE was conducted to systematically and safely decrease the use of bed rails in three nursing home care units. This article describes an interdisciplinary process of individualized patient assessment, selection of appropriate alternatives for residents, compliance monitoring, training, and monitoring of patient outcomes including falls and injuries related to falls from bed.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Hoffman is Director, Interprofessional Team Training and Development, Dr. Powell-Cope is Associate Chief of Nursing Services for Research, and Ms. Bero is Kinesiotherapist, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (151), Tampa, Florida. Ms. MacClellan is Health Science Specialist, Baltimore VAMC 151H, Baltimore, Maryland.
The research reported here was supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Further support was provided by VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry and by the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Address correspondence to Stephanie Hoffman, PhD, Director, Interprofessional Team Training and Development, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (11J), 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 32612.
