PUP Socks-The Steps That Saves

Publication Date

2026

Presentation Length

Poster/Gallery presentation

College

Gordon E. Inman College of Nursing

Department

Nursing, School of

Student Level

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor

Dr. Linda Wofford

Presentation Type

Article

Summary

The purpose of this project is to implement PUP Socks technology on a medical-surgical unit as an additional fall prevention strategy to improve early identification of patients attempting to ambulate without assistance and decrease nurse response time. This intervention aligns with nursing practice and leadership priorities focused on patient safety, quality improvement, and reducing preventable harm. Patient falls remain a persistent safety concern despite existing interventions, highlighting the need for innovative approaches like PUP Socks that utilize sensors to detect when a patient’s foot touches the ground and Bluetooth technology to notify the nearest three nurses. The unit is a 38-bed acute care unit struggling with patient falls despite multiple prevention measures. Approximately 684,000 fatal falls occur annually, with the highest mortality rates among adults aged 60 years and older (Moon et al., 2025). The project timeline spans one year, including four months for introduction, education, and training for clinical staff, followed by micro-tests and audits to guide adjustments before the final six-month implementation period. The estimated cost for a six-month trial is $38,083, based on $11 per patient per day and an estimated 50%-unit utilization. Using baseline data, program success will be reduced fall rates to ≤1.3 falls per 1,000 patient-days and maintaining an alarm response time of ≤30 seconds, and staff compliance demonstrated through completed training and documented use with fall-risk patients. Ongoing auditing will support sustainability and potential facility-wide expansion.

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