Effectiveness of NANDA-I Nursing Diagnosis ‘Risk for Falls’ on Fall Incidence in Elderly: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Aim

To assess the incidence of falls in community-dwelling older adults aged over 75 years according to the use of NANDA-I nursing diagnosis “Risk for Falls” by the patients' nurses.

Design

An analytical prospective cohort study involving 18 nurses and 250 patients from eight Primary Healthcare System Centers in the Community of Madrid, Spain.

Methods

A 16-month prospective cohort study was conducted in health centers in Madrid: one included 123 patients cared for by nurses who regularly used NANDA-I nursing diagnosis “Risk for Falls” and another cohort consisted of 127 patients whose nurses did not use it.

Results

The frequency of falls in patients over the age of 75 was 25.6%, with women accounting for 68.8% of all falls. Among patients cared for by nurses using NANDA-I nursing diagnosis “Risk for Falls”, the incidence of falls was 18.7%, compared to 32.3% in those cared for by nurses who did not use it.

Conclusions

Patients cared for by nurses who routinely use “Risk for Falls”, had 54% lower odds of falling (adjusted OR: 0.46) than patients cared for by nurses who do not use it. NANDA-I nursing diagnosis “Risk for Falls” along with associated nursing interventions, may support its inclusion in clinical guidelines and fall prevention protocols, encouraging its routine use by primary care nurses.