Fall Prevention

What is TIPs?

• TIPs is the acronym for Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety
• Fall TIPS is the fall prevention program for the general medical/surgical units
• Fall TIPS is the only fall prevention tool with over a decade of research showing that it prevents patient falls and fall related injuries in hospitals

• The nurse fills out the laminated Fall TIPS bed poster with the patient and family in English or Spanish that is in each patient’s room. For other languages please click here.
• The Morse Fall Scale and intervention plan is documented in eCare.
• Each risk factor for the Morse Fall Scale is linked with one or more evidence-based interventions with color
• This Fall TIPS bed poster can be used as:
• An educational tool for the patient and family members
• A communication tool between nurses, PCAs, and other bedside caregivers

---

Why implement Fall TIPS?

• Falls in the hospital are a serious problem
• 3% of patients fall a year, 30% of these falls results in injuries
• Patient falls can be prevented using the 3-step fall prevention process:
  1. Completing a Fall risk assessment using the MFS with the patient at the bedside
  2. Creating a tailored or personalized care plan based on the individual patient’s risk factors
  3. Partnering with the patient/family to consistently implement the interventions

 

• Nurse Champions on each unit will be responsible for
• Educating staff members about Fall TIPS
• Identifying barriers to implementation and addressing workarounds
• Conducting Fall TIPS Patient Engagement Audits (3 questions) each month:
  • Is the patient’s Fall TIPS poster updated and hanging at the bedside?
  • Can the patient/family verbalize the patient’s fall risk factors?
  • Can the patient/family verbalize the patient’s personalized fall prevention plan?

Last Updated: 79/16/2020