Nursing Discussion Post on Gaps in Falls Prevention Research and Practice for DNP Evidence-Based Projects

Nursing professionals identifying knowledge gaps in falls prevention articles and evaluating quality improvement studies for DNP EBP assignments benefit from structured guidelines that enhance critical analysis skills.

Instructions: To prepare:

• Read and view the Learning Resources, focusing especially on Chapter 4 of Bissett et al. (2025).

Diving into these materials sets a solid foundation for connecting theory with real-world applications.

• Choose one of the topics (from the “Falls” topic list) in the resources and read the three articles presented.
• View the video on Terminology.
• Post a response including the following:

Selecting a specific area allows for focused insights that resonate with current healthcare challenges.

• Identify the gap in knowledge (in the research article) and the gap in practice (in the QI study) presented in the articles provided. Explain how the practice-focused question emerged in the DNP EBP project. Review Chapter 4 in Bissett et al., (2025).

Linking these elements highlights the progression from identified issues to actionable inquiries.

• Evaluate the provided research study, the quality improvement study, and the DNP EBP project. Compare and contrast (a) the gap and (b) the research question or practice-focused question.

Recent advancements in patient safety underscore the importance of such comparisons in improving outcomes.

Sample Answer Guide

The research article revealed a gap in knowledge regarding the long-term effects of multifactorial interventions on fall rates among elderly patients in acute care. The QI study highlighted a practice gap where inconsistent application of risk assessment tools led to higher fall incidents in the unit. The practice-focused question in the DNP EBP project arose from observing these discrepancies during clinical rotations and aiming to integrate evidence-based protocols more effectively. Evaluating the research study showed strong methodological rigor with randomized controls, while the QI study emphasized practical implementation but lacked broad generalizability. The DNP project bridged these by applying findings directly to policy changes. Gaps in both the research and QI studies focused on specific populations, yet the research question sought broader evidence, whereas the practice-focused question targeted immediate workflow improvements (Hakvoort et al. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00598-z). Overall, these elements demonstrate how targeted questions drive meaningful advancements in falls prevention.

References

• Guo, X. et al. (2023) ‘Effect of a fall prevention strategy for the older patients: A quasi-experimental study’, Nursing Open, 10(2), pp. 1116–1124. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.1379.
• Hakvoort, L. et al. (2021) ‘Minimizing the knowledge-to-action gap; identification of interventions to change nurses’ behavior regarding fall prevention, a mixed method study’, BMC Nursing, 20(1), article 80. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-021-00598-z.
• Alsaad, S.M. et al. (2024) ‘Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Nurses toward Risk Factors and Prevention of Falls in Older Adult Patients in a Large-Sized Tertiary Care Setting’, Healthcare, 12(3), p. 306. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030306.
• Tana, C. et al. (2025) ‘Perceived knowledge and attitudes toward fall prevention among nurses and healthcare assistants: a Cross-Sectional survey study’, Annals of Medicine, 57(1), p. 2559127. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2025.2559127.
• Henry, A., Haddad, Y. and Bergen, G. (2024) ‘Older Adult and Healthcare Provider Beliefs About Fall Prevention Strategies’, American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, [OnlineFirst]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/15598276221100431.