Mentor/s
Professor Kara Rizzardi
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
Wandering and elopement are significant safety concerns for veterans in healthcare settings, particularly those with conditions such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia, and sleep disorders. These factors increase the risk of falls, injuries, and exposure to infections. During our capstone clinical experience, we observed a high incidence of patients attempting to leave the unit or engaging in wandering behaviors. As a result, we came up with the idea to create a veteran-specific wander/elopement risk assessment protocol to ensure early identification of at-risk patients and the implementation of appropriate interventions. The assessment will categorize patients based on their risk level. From there, nurses will use specific interventions to help them based on the risk level. This project seeks to enhance patient safety and reduce the incidence of elopement/wandering-related adverse events.
College and Major available
Nursing RN-BSN
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Prize Categories
Best Multidisciplinary Research or Collaboration, Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Best Writing
Wander/Elopement Risk Assessment and Protocol for Veterans
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Wandering and elopement are significant safety concerns for veterans in healthcare settings, particularly those with conditions such as traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dementia, and sleep disorders. These factors increase the risk of falls, injuries, and exposure to infections. During our capstone clinical experience, we observed a high incidence of patients attempting to leave the unit or engaging in wandering behaviors. As a result, we came up with the idea to create a veteran-specific wander/elopement risk assessment protocol to ensure early identification of at-risk patients and the implementation of appropriate interventions. The assessment will categorize patients based on their risk level. From there, nurses will use specific interventions to help them based on the risk level. This project seeks to enhance patient safety and reduce the incidence of elopement/wandering-related adverse events.
Students' Information
Taylor Warburton- nursing, honors, 2025
Alexandra Rizzo- nursing, honors, 2025