The relationship of the hospital-acquired injurious fall rates with the quality profile of a hospital's care delivery and nursing staff patterns.

Fall occurrence during hospital stays is a well-recognized nursing-sensitive outcome indicator. This study was intended to determine the unique contributions of three inpatient satisfaction measures on the hospital-acquired injurious fall rates. Study results demonstrated the higher the inpatient satisfaction levels with the quietness of hospital environment, the lower the injurious fall rates. The physical environment (quietness) of the acute inpatient care settings was a significant and meaningful determinant of the prevalence of injurious falls. Additionally, more total nursing personnel FTEs per 1,000 discharges and a higher percentage of RN FTEs by total nursing personnel FTEs would not result in better patient outcomes.