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Cary
Medical
Center's Ruby
Slipper Program is a proactive approach to promoting patient safety by
helping to prevent patient falls. The program involves all Cary Medical
Center employees and uses strong visual images as cues to identify those
patients most at risk to fall. As part of the program, patients are first
assessed during admission, and then every twelve hours during hospitalization
using an objective risk assessment tool for risk of falling. If the patient
is determined to be at high risk for falling, then he or she is placed
on the Ruby Slipper Program.
“New patients and their families are educated about the program during admission, and the patient is given a pair of ruby red slippers to wear when out of bed,” explained Jackie Devoe, RN, MSB, CNA, BC, Cary’sChief Nursing Officer. “Among other safety precautions in place, Ruby Slipper stickers are placed on the patient’s wristband, and on the patient’s chart, and a Ruby Slipper sign is placed on the communication board in the patient’s room. Then, if a patient is seen wearing their ruby slippers and walking alone or getting out of bed, the person who finds them must remain with the patient and call for a nurse or nursing assistant to help them back to their room or bed,” she said. “It’s recognized that everyone here at Cary is responsible for looking out for our patient’s safety,” Devoe emphasized. “We began the program last fall, and it’s been very well received by everyone; our patients, their family members and our staff.” |