ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical application of Morse Fall Scale by primary nurses.Methods Morse Fall Scale was used to assess the falling risk in 21,378 patients by the primary nurses.The application of the Morse Fall Scale, choices of right time for assessment and the occurrence of falls in patients with risks of falling were evaluated by a self-designed questionnaire.Results Among 21,378 patients, 222 patients were at risk of falling.In terms of the items like the history of falls,more than one diagnosis,intravenous injection,the accuracy of assessment was above 91.6%.In terms of the items like aided walking,gait,cognitive state,the assessment accuracy is below 86.0%.The accuracy of assessment timing selection in the situations like admission,the score by Morse fall scale over 24at admission and the accuracy in choosing right time for assessment was was above 90.2% after transferring to other deparments and falling.The accuracy in choosing the right time for fall assessment was below 67.9% under such conditions as apostasies,and oral administration of drugs probably leading to fall. Conclusions It is acceptable that the primary nurses use the Morse fall scale to assess patients with risky falls and for the right choice of assessment.Attention should be paid to strengthen the nurses training to improve the accuracy of the scale,to make sure to choose right time for the assessment so as to prevent the falls of patients to the greatest extent.