For When Other Methods Fall Short - The Fall TIPS Toolkit
Publication Date
Spring 2026
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing
Department
Nursing, School of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Linda Wofford
Metadata/Fulltext
Fulltext
Presentation Type
Gallery
Summary
Recovery can take days, but a fall takes seconds to undo, making patient falls one of the most urgent preventable risks in hospitals. Alarmingly, an estimated 700,000 to 1 million falls occur annually in the United States, often leading to injury, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs (Dabkowski, 2024). Although nurses routinely assess fall risk, teams prevent falls most effectively when they clearly communicate risks, individualize interventions, and reinforce prevention strategies at the bedside. This project advances fall prevention by improving risk communication and increasing patient involvement through implementation of the Fall TIPS (Tailoring Interventions for Patient Safety) Toolkit. The team will implement Fall TIPS by introducing bedside displays of individualized fall prevention plans, integrating documentation into the health record workflow, incorporating training into onboarding and competency reviews, and providing multilingual materials at implementation to support patient understanding. Staff will also complete brief shift-level reviews of high-risk patients with the charge nurse to ensure prevention plans remain accurate and consistently followed. The team will evaluate success by comparing fall rates, staff compliance, and patient engagement before and after implementation, with a goal of reducing falls by 30% within 12 months. Through the Fall TIPS Toolkit, teams can reduce the seconds that lead to a fall, protecting patient safety, preserving progress, and preventing avoidable harm.
Sources Cited Dabkowski, E., Cooper, S. J., Duncan, J., & Missen, K. (2025). Investigating Falls Risk Awareness in Hospitals Using the Self‐Awareness of Falls Risk Measure (SAFRM): Empirical Research Quantitative. Nursing Open, 12(1), Article e70099. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.70099
Recommended Citation
Harrell, Jillian; Horman, Kaylin; and Paisley, Eliza, "For When Other Methods Fall Short - The Fall TIPS Toolkit" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 1122.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/1122
