First and Last Name/s of Presenters

Taylor WarburtonFollow
Alexandra RizzoFollow

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

Students' Information

Taylor Warburton- nursing, honors, 2025

Alexandra Rizzo- nursing, honors, 2025

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 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

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Apr 25th, 12:00 PM Apr 25th, 2:00 PM

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.

 

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