Quality Improvement Project

Answering the call light (also called call bell a handheld like that is attached to the patient room wall, above the headboard of the bed) in a timely manner by the nursing staff in hospital setting is necessary to prevent falls that can harm, prolonged stays, and unnecessarily increase the cost of healthcare. However, researches concerning call light uses as it relates to patient safety, patient-care management and patient satisfaction are limited (Meade et al. 2006). Patients and their families emphasize that nurses should monitor patients constantly and provide assistance and answer a call light in a timely manner (Yoder, 2011). Note that the falls may be caused by several factors such as …show more content…
Yoder signaled that the quality management stresses improving the system rather than assigning blame to employees (Yoder, 2011). Thus, communication is a very important step and strategies in the discussion. It allows both the manager and followers to see the appropriate changes needed without appointing blames. The results of the project can be shared with other floors, included in the computer based training, or presented by nursing leaders during in-service with the staff. Posters could be used to illustrate the importance of the response time to patient’s call light. In recent years some hospitals have initiated hourly rounds to reduce the noise and interruptions caused by unnecessary call lights. (Meade et al. 2006). Meade concluded that with one-hour rounds, there was a significant reduction in the number of falls that occurred on the units. Others tools used in the hospital to prevent falls are yellow bracelet, non slip red socks, and yellow sticker placed on the