Association of the Incidence of Patient Falls and Work Environment of Nurses

  Patient falls are among the most significant threats to patient safety. Nurses play a pivotal role in maintaining and improving the standards of patient safety. The work environment of nurses is among the major influential factors in this regard. The present study aimed to investigate the association between the incidence of patient falls and work environment of nurses. This correlational study was conducted on 300 nurses employed in the hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran, who were selected via proportionate stratification sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire with three sections of demographic data, work environment of nurses, and patient falls. Data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using Pearson’s correlation-coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis test, t-test, and frequency tables. Mean age of the participants was 32±6.17 years, and the majority were female (86.7%) and married (64%). Mean incidence of patient falls was 6±1.61 within the past three months, and the mean score of the work environment of nurses was estimated at 67.34 (favorable). A significant, weak correlation was observed between the work environment of nurses and incidence of patient falls (P<0.034; r=-0.15). Given the significant association between the incidence of patient falls and work environment of nurses, it seems essential that nursing managers adopt effective strategies to improve the working conditions of nurses through the participation of nurses in decision-making, support, and adequate staff and resources, thereby facilitating safe patient care.