Use of Preventive Measures Against Falls in Children and Assessment Score Sheet for Falling / 日本農村医学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

  A look at the reports of accidents or near accidents in our hospital revealed that the incidence of falls or stumbles in children was at the top of the list in frequency. In the past five years, our pediatric ward has experienced an average of about 10 such cases annually. Regarding the risk of falling, advice is given by nurses to parents during the orientation session when their babies and little children are hospitalized. However,the advice was entirely subjective - not going by any rule or guidelines. Recently, an assessment score sheet for the risk factors for falling and a preventive measure against falls was drafted and trial used, with the result that changes were observed in the way the nurses in their 20s watch and take care of the little patients. Moreover, they became able to look after the infants according to their age, developmental stage and disposition. The use of the common pamphlet helped the young nurses gain selfconfidence even though they are inexperienced in child-rearing and nursing.  From these results, we concluded that the uniform guideline and order of priority led to the improvement of the quality of nursing in the nurses in their 20s.