In October 2024, unit council member, Victoria Casto, ADN, RN, BS, staff nurse IV, volunteered to lead an important initiative to prevent falls. Casto and the workgroup reviewed the data and conducted a deep dive into two recent falls. Both falls appeared to be attributed to the department’s fast-paced nature, not to a lack of understanding of the importance of preventive safety measures. Casto searched existing evidence and found that using an identified mnemonic word can be an effective tool for simplifying complex information and making it easier to recall quickly.
Casto created a mnemonic, SLACKERS, to help nurses working in the interventional radiology department quickly remember the key elements of the fall prevention bundle. The mnemonic was shared with the unit council and the department’s clinical nurses. Consensus was that the mnemonic was a fun, creative way to help the team remember the elements of the fall prevention bundle. The mnemonic SLACKERS stands for:
- S: supervised mobility
- L: light in reach
- A: Assessment (frequently)
- C: Chair
- K: Kick the hover mat ASAP
- E: Enlist mobility devices
- R: Rails up
- S: Socks on
Casto, along with clinical nurses Jennifer Pope, RN, staff nurse IV; Giovanna Aiello, RN, staff nurse III; Sara Jansson, RN, staff nurse II; and Susan Scarth, BSN, RN, PHN, staff nurse III, created laminated neon signage that was posted at each bay as well as educational materials with the saying “Don’t be SLACKERS” as a fun and creative tag line to prevent patient falls. Additionally, patients were educated on fall prevention strategies, such as sitting in a chair when getting dressed, and setting the expectation that nurses will monitor and assess at least every 15 minutes. The nurse champions socialized the initiative with colleagues in the department to gain buy-in and raise awareness. The initiative was implemented by November, and no additional falls have occurred since.