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Fall Investigation Methodology

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In the next section of the paper, retrospective secondary data from fall investigations done using the Swiss cheese model (SFIM-senior fall investigation methodology) (Zecevic, 2013) are used. Two cases from this data base will be discussed to exemplify the potential importance of TSA to falls prevention in hospitals.
It was discussed previously that in the TSA model both individual SA (ISA) and team communication form the basis for effective situation awareness. In the IDT model the patient is also considered a part of the team and has been added to the discussion of the cases. Each case will have a brief description of how the fall occurred followed by a discussion of the elements according to the TSA model.
The first part of each case discusses …show more content…

In a way the entire incidence may have occurred because of the noise in the room. The staff could not foresee the effect of a noisy surrounding. Had the surrounding been quieter, the patient may have gone to sleep and not gotten up to go to the washroom. The staff also failed to anticipate that the empty linen baskets resting behind the door could be a potential hazard in a situation where it would be necessary to open the door completely to 180 degrees. Hence they did not project the safety need to reposition the dirty linen baskets into the empty closets where they were supposed to …show more content…

These may have impacted the safety of the patient. The hospital policy to transfer patients between rooms as their recovery progresses affects continuous patient care and nursing supervision. After being admitted on June 22nd he was transferred multiple times. Being confused because of his stroke, unfamiliar with his surroundings and poor SA by staff, the fall may have been inevitable. The patient had tried to transfer on his own previously and was unsuccessful. He was overconfident and forgetful. The staff in that case probably should not have left a walker in his vicinity encouraging him to attempt to ambulate to the washroom independently. Also, every floor had their own equipment which was given on loan to the patients who needed it. The nurses and other staff are usually on a very tight schedule and missing the information on the dimensions of the equipment is quite

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