Throughout my Nursing career, I have experienced multiple patient falls with injuries ranging from skin tears, lacerations, hip fractures, and broken bones to chronic head injuries and death. As a patient advocate, a nurse is responsible for the health and well-being of a patient and patient safety. Various factors contribute to healthcare providers placing patients on fall precautions, including confusion, disorientation, neurological problems, visual problems, post-surgical procedures, lower body weakness, lower extremity pain, and medications that affect coordination and balance. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of death among persons aged 65 years or older. Between 700,000 to 1,000,000 patients fall in the hospital, and 1.3 million residents fall in nursing facilities annually. Every year, approximately 3 million older adults undergo treatment in emergency rooms for fall injuries.

Using side rails for fall prevention can cause patient entrapment or suffocation and death. To a confused patient, a side rail may appear as a hurdle to overcome, resulting in a more severe injury and a fall from a higher height. I recall using 4-point restraints at the beginning of my career, which sometimes resulted in decreased circulation to the wrists, arms, ankles, and feet, or skin breakdown and bedsores due to limited mobility. Patients still fall every day despite facilities implementing fall precautions, including removing the side rails, placing the beds in the lowest position to the floor, using non-skid socks, using light to illuminate the walkways, and ensuring the room is clutter-free. Injuries sustained from falls include lacerations, fractured hips, broken bones, chronic head injuries, and even death.