Sanchez, Vanessa

PointstoConsider
A leader must set the goal and then help people see how to get
there. Karen did several things right.
1. Setting a goal is a great strategy. Why would Karen set a goal
that was probably unattainable?
Karenmayhavesetagoalthatwasunattainablebecause

preventingfalls100%ofthetimeisnearlyimpossible.Even
withthehigheststandardtechnology,andfallinterventions,
fallsarestillboundtohappenunlesseverypatienthasasitter
withthematalltimes.However,itisbesttoaimforagoalof
havingzerofallsthantobesatisfiedwithonlyhaving3
patientfalls.
With

something like falls, how is it possible to say any is a good

number?
With patient falls, it is a very difficult task to have a fall free
statistic. However, a zero fall goal should always be in place
because any fall is too many for a hospital or facility to have.
2. Data comparison is always useful. Why would Karen use
national data?

Itisimportanttousedatabecausethisistheonlywaywecan
incorporateevidencebasedpracticeandhavedatatoshow
whytheseinterventionsandimplementationsareimportant.

Withoutanydata,theproposedstrategyismoreofastudy
thanimplementationofresearchbasedinformation.
Karen also could probably do some things differently. 1. Why is
asking why limiting?
Byaskingwhy,itlimitsthediscussiontoonlythecurrent
problemwithoutbeingabletoanalyzehowtopreventfallsin

Sanchez, Vanessa

thefuture.
Would

asking what prevents us from preventing falls be less

threatening?
Yes,thisquestionwillallowthenursestobemoreopenedto

participateinthediscussionofpreventingfallswithout
feelingintimidatedbytheirsupervisor.Thisisatacticofa
transformationalleader.
2.

Literature is always helpful. How could Karen use it? What have
other groups found useful in preventing falls?
Literature is always helpful in keeping up to date on current
standards and procedures and getting new ideas on what can
be implemented to further improve the patient fall rates.
Other groups have found surveillance cameras, bed alarms,
and patient identification of fall risk to be helpful in
preventing falls.
3. Karen intervened when she found a hazard. What else would
have been helpful for her to do with these findings?
It would have been helpful to do an assessment of the current
core values status such as falls before a hazard was found.
This just may have prevented the hazard and additional falls
from occurring.