Fall Prevention Knowledge and Attitude Tests-Surveys Used by Staff and Nurses: A Systematic Review of Current Literature

Falls are a serious global public health issue affecting individuals of all ages, resulting in serious injuries, fatalities, and extended hospital stays. While knowledge and attitude of healthcare staff toward fall prevention are understood to impact patient safety, less well known are the type and content of fall prevention surveys used to identify nurses’ knowledge of fall prevention. Until now, no study has systematically reviewed the universe of existing tests, surveys, and programs used to assess fall prevention knowledge. This systematic review aims to describe existing tests and surveys used to assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare staff and nurses regarding fall prevention. Electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Psych Info were searched for English articles investigating existing surveys and tests of fall prevention knowledge among healthcare staff from 2005 to August 2024, focusing on studies in healthcare workers working in medical centers, working with adults >65 y.o. Of the 565 studies identified, twelve met the inclusion criteria: eight examined fall prevention knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy tests, and questionnaires among nurses and nursing students, and four examined fall prevention knowledge programs. One study examined the efficacy of a fall prevention program. Across all studies, various types of knowledge/self-efficacy questionnaires were utilized with overlapping content on fall definition, information on falls, teamwork, and reporting falls. Also, the educational studies suggested the importance of using fall prevention programs which include various components: online and in-person lectures, posters, and staff support, highlighting the need for continuous training rather than once for improved results. Overall, understanding the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare staff, especially nurses, toward fall prevention is crucial for improving patient safety and reducing adverse events in healthcare settings. Future research should include an assessment tool that considers all the components of behavioral change and captures all overlapping questions in one questionnaire, as well as including them in frequent training.