Pediatric nursing
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The Joint Commission requires pediatric hospitals to implement fall prevention programs and evaluate the efficacy of such programs. The Humpty Dumpty Falls Scale (HDFS), a seven-item assessment scale used to document age, gender, diagnosis, cognitive impairments, environmental factors, response to surgery/sedation, and medication usage, is one of several instruments developed to assess fall risk in pediatric patients. ⋯ Using the HDFS cut-off score of 12 and above to indicate a high risk for falls in these children yields a high false-positive rate. Investigators and staff at pediatric specialty hospitals need to continue their pursuit of valid instruments and tools that contribute to fall reduction.