Problem
The problem statement of this study is not explicit but deducible from the introduction section. Cruz, Carvalho, Lamas, and Barbosa (2014) affirm that it is difficult to determine the factors that ought to be encompassed in a clinical supervision model in nursing for the promotion of safety and quality of care associated with the risk of fall. The frequency of falls in a health institution is a care quality pointer, and the risk of falling represents a nursing analysis functionalized via the use of scales. The timely discovery of risk is a major factor in harm avoidance (Ganz et al., 2013). Nevertheless, this is dependent on the existence of a civilization of confidence, candidness, integrity, and open communication among patients and caregivers (Montgomery, Todorova, Baban, & Panagopoulou, 2013). Though nurses could provide exercises to lessen the frequency of falls, there is no clear evidence for determining the kind, interval, and amount of exercise required for successful prevention. This study employs six hypotheses.
Kind of Study
The article presents an exploratory, descriptive quantitative type of study. The study sought to typify the possibility of falling in patients admitted to a section of the medical sector at the Medio Ave Hospital Centre in Portugal. Other objectives of the study were to associate the possibility of falling with the personal characteristics of the patients, to assess the compliance involving the procedures of monitoring, to strategize and implement nursing care, to advocate inputs for a medical supervision model in nursing, and to enhance the proficiencies of nurses in the prevention of falls.
Sample Size and the Population
The population of the study comprised of all the patients that were admitted to the chosen department and that were in the hospital between February 10 and April 9, 2012 (Cruz et al., 2014). The study employed a convenience sample that had one hundred and thirty-two patients that satisfied the inclusion measures. The inclusion criteria ensured that only the most suitable patients from the selected department took part in the study. The inclusion measures were that the patient should be admitted for at least one day, the patient must not have re-hospitalizations in the department in the course of the study period, and the patient must not have taken part in the pretest of the survey questions. The sample of the study is representative as it includes an almost equal number of male and female patients, which could lead to enhanced results of the study.
Results
The outcomes signified that sixteen of the patients indicated no possibility of fall, forty-eight had a low possibility of fall, and thirty-four had a high possibility of fall. The presence of nonconformities in the execution of the falls practice was verified through the use of the Morse Fall Scale amid other techniques. In this regard, some inputs were suggested for a medical supervision model in nursing. Therefore, nurses can develop their expertise and proficiencies in the prevention of falls.
Relevance
The article is germane to medical practice as it offers vital information for application by caregivers in an attempt to ensure the quality of care, especially to older individuals. The possibility of accidental hurts that lead to death or long stays in hospitals is higher in older patients thus the article is instrumental in highlighting the need to execute a medical supervision model to encourage, support, and set caregivers to enhance fall avoidance and ascertain the well-being and safety of the patients. Moreover, the information provided in the article plays a critical function in the improvement of patient care, reduction of mistakes, the advancement of competence, improvement of caregivers’ performance, and reduction of burnout.
References
Cruz, S., Carvalho, L., Lamas, B., & Barbosa, P. (2014). Improving quality in the patients’ risk of fall evaluation through clinical supervision. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 4(6), 526-530.
Ganz, D. A., Huang, C., Saliba, D., Miake-Lye, I. M., Hempel, S., Ganz, D. A., & Detsky, A. S. (2013). Preventing falls in hospitals: A toolkit for improving quality of care. Ann Intern Med, 158(5), 390-396.
Montgomery, A., Todorova, I., Baban, A., & Panagopoulou, E. (2013). Improving quality and safety in the hospital: The link between organizational culture, burnout, and quality of care. British Journal of Health Psychology, 18(3), 656-662.