Daily work variability in falls prevention of hospitalized patients: nursing team’s perception

BACKGROUND: The identification of safety incidents and establishment of systematic methodologies in health services to reduce risks and provide quality care was implemented by The World Health Organization. These safety incidents allowed the visualization of a vast panorama, ranging from preventable incidents to adverse events with catastrophic outcomes. In this scenario, the issue of fall(s) is inserted, which, despite being a preventable event, can lead to several consequences for the patient, family, and the healthcare system, being the second cause of death by accidental injury worldwide, this study aims to identify the variability inherent in the daily work in fall prevention, the strategies used by professionals to deal with it and the opportunities for improvement of the management of work-as-imagined. METHOD: A mixed method approach was conducted, through process modeling and semi-structured interviews. The study was conducted in a public university hospital in southern Brazil. Study steps: modeling of the prescribed work, identification of falls, modeling of the daily work, and reflections on the gap between work-as-done and work-as-imagined. Medical records, management reports, notification records, protocols, and care procedures were consulted for modeling the work process, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 Nursing professionals. The study was conducted between March 2019 and December 2020. RESULTS: From July 2018 to July 2019, 447 falls occurred, 2.7% with moderate to severe injury. The variability occurred in the orientation of the companion and the assurance of the accompanied patient's de-ambulation. The professionals identified individual strategies to prevent falls, the importance of multi-professional work, learning with the work team, and the colleague’s expertise, as well as suggesting improvements in the physical environment. CONCLUSION: This study addressed the need for fall prevention in the hospital setting as one of the main adverse events that affect patients. Identifying the variability inherent to the work allows professionals to identify opportunities for improvement, understand the risks to which patients are subjected, and develop the perception of fall risk as a way to reduce the gap between work-as-imagined and work-as-done.