Background: Falls are a prominent external cause of unintentional injury worldwide. Falls affect everyone, particularly 28-35% of people age 65 and older; increasing to 32-42% for those over 70 years of age. Falls account for 40% of all injury deaths; the rates vary depending in the country and the studied population. Fall fatality rate for people age 65 and older in the United States is 36.8 per 100,000 people, whereas in Canada, mortality rate for the same age group is 9.4 per 100,000. Mortality rate for people age 50 and older in Finland is 55.44 for men and 43.1 for women per 100,000. Foreground: Falls are a widespread health problem posing serious threats to patient safety. Accidental falls account for the most incidents reported in hospitals, complicating longer stays and burdening the healthcare system. Substatial costs are associated with falls, including costs of patient care associated with increased length of stay and liability. Fall-related injuries in older adults often reduce mobility, independence, and result in increased risk of premature death. EBP Framework: The Larrabee Model for evidence-based practice change and Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation served as frameworks for the project. Methods: the process included an educational intervention, recruitment of subjects, and management of data. The EBP Beliefs Scale including a pre- and post- knowledge test was the source of data, collected through various means. Records were kept of the group of nurses who attended each educational session. The impact of the educational intervention and the Knowledge, skills, and confidence of the nurses were measured, allowing the investigator to compare the results before and after the intervention to decipher if a change has occurred. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were utilized to analyze the data obtained from the pre- and post-test forms. Findings/Results: The findings show a positive change in nurses’ perceptions levels in attitudes, behaviors, and knowledge of Hendrich II Falls Risk Assessment Tool (HFRM) as evidenced by an improvement in pretest to posttest EBP Beliefs Scale survey scores. All categories show increase in nurses’ beliefs. Conclusion/Recommendations: The design of the project was quantitative; the descriptive analysis show positive change in EBP Beliefs scale scores of nurses’ perception of Hendrich II Fall Risk assessment Tool. In keeping with the Larrabee Model, Roger’s diffusion of innovations theory and PDSA Model, HFRM education intervention should continue and become part of the facility’s Fall Policy as more cycles are completed. A mandated full educational module presented by Staff Development should be instituted for all staff and disciplines involved in the educational intervention, implemented with staff competency evaluation.
