The Role of Ambient Room Lighting Patterns in Reducing Nighttime Falls A Nurse-Driven Experiment.

Abstract

Nighttime falls in hospital settings remain a costly and dangerous challenge, particularly for aging and medically complex patients. This nurse-driven quasi-experimental study investigated the efficacy of an ambient room lighting intervention tailored to enhance nighttime visibility while minimizing sleep disruption, deployed in two medical-surgical wards in a large tertiary hospital. Over twelve months, fall incidence, patient-reported mobility confidence and sleep quality, and nursing staff perceptions were evaluated using mixed methods. The intervention introduced bespoke low-lux, warm-spectrum lighting with motion activation, co-designed with clinical and engineering teams. Quantitative data revealed a statistically significant 61% reduction in nighttime falls, especially among older adults and sedative medication users, without degradation of sleep quality. Qualitative analyses demonstrated strong nursing engagement, with reports of streamlined nocturnal care and perceived patient safety improvements. This study advances environmental fall-prevention paradigms by validating nurse-led ambient lighting as a low-cost, scalable, and clinically effective approach to nighttime fall reduction. It highlights the need for integration of human factors and circadian science into nursing practice and healthcare design to promote holistic patient safety and quality care.