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Module 8 of 8
Screen 1 of 9Introduction
Module 8 · Patient Safety

Getting Help Safely

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness — it is the smartest thing you can do. This final module shows you how to call for help, what to do if you fall, and how to set a goal that sticks.

🔔
Help is always available
You are never alone in hospital. Staff are there to support you — day and night. This module shows you exactly how to reach them.

What you will learn

📞
How to Call for Help
Your options for reaching staff quickly
🛑
If You Have Fallen
What to do if you find yourself on the floor
⏳
The Importance of Waiting
Why waiting for help is always the right call
🎯
Your Personal Safety Goals
Setting one goal that sticks
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Screen 2 of 9How to Call for Help
📞
Topic 1 of 4
How to Call for Help
🔑
You have several ways to call for help
Knowing all your options means you can always reach someone — even if one method is not available.
🔔
Call button (buzzer)
Your main tool. Clip it to the bed rail or keep it on the bedside table. Press it any time you need assistance.
📢
Call out
If the button is out of reach, call out clearly. Hospital rooms are not soundproof and staff are nearby.
📱
Bedside phone
Most hospital rooms have a phone. Ask your nurse for the ward number when you arrive.
👋
Signal to a visitor or nearby patient
If someone can see you, wave or call out to them to fetch a nurse.
✅
Call early — before you are in difficulty
The best time to press your call button is before you try to get up, not when you are already standing and unsteady. Early calls are easier for everyone.
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Screen 3 of 9If You Have Fallen
🛑
Topic 2 of 4
If You Have Fallen
🚨
Do not try to get up alone
This is the most important rule. Getting up alone after a fall is when injuries happen — even if you feel fine. Stay still and call for help.
  1. 1
    Stay calm — do not panic
    Take a breath. You are safe on the floor. The priority is calling for help, not getting up quickly.
  2. 2
    Call out or press your button
    If your call button is nearby, press it. If not, call out loudly. Keep calling until someone comes.
  3. 3
    Stay still until help arrives
    Do not try to move unless you are in immediate danger. Moving before being assessed can make injuries worse.
  4. 4
    Let staff assess you first
    Before you stand up, a nurse will check for injury. This takes only a minute and protects you from making a hidden injury worse.
💡
You will not be in trouble
Falls happen even with the best precautions. Staff are not there to judge — they are there to help. Always report a fall, even if you feel fine.
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Screen 4 of 9The Importance of Waiting
⏳
Topic 3 of 4
The Importance of Waiting
🔑
The wait is almost always shorter than you think
Most nurses respond to call buttons within a few minutes. A short wait is always safer than getting up alone and falling.
🌙
Night-time is highest risk
Darkness, drowsiness, and medications all reduce your balance. Waiting for a nurse at night is especially important.
🤔
You may feel fine — but not be fine
Illness and medications can impair balance without you noticing. Feeling steady is not the same as being steady.
⏱️
Press early
The best time to press your button is before you urgently need to move. Do not wait until you are desperate.
💬
It is never a nuisance
Nurses would far rather come to you ten times than assist you after one fall. There is no such thing as calling too often.
💬
Waiting is a safety decision — not a passive one
Choosing to wait for help rather than getting up alone is one of the most effective things you can do to prevent a fall. It takes judgement and self-awareness.
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Screen 5 of 9Your Personal Safety Goals
🎯
Topic 4 of 4
Your Personal Safety Goals
🔑
Goals work better than rules
Research from Australian hospitals shows that patients who set their own personal safety goals are far less likely to fall than those who are simply given instructions.
  1. 1
    Choose one thing to focus on
    Not everything at once. Pick the habit from this app that feels most relevant to you and commit to that first.
  2. 2
    Make it specific
    Not just "be careful" — but "I will always turn on my light before getting up at night." Specific goals are easier to follow.
  3. 3
    Tell your nurse your goal
    When staff know your goal, they can support it — reminders, environment adjustments, and regular check-ins.
  4. 4
    Review and adjust
    Your needs change during a hospital stay. If something is not working, talk to your nurse and update your goal.
🎯
What is your one goal?
Think about the single most important thing from this module series you want to remember. Write it down or tell a family member — making it real makes it stick.
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Screen 6 of 9True or False?

True or False?

Common beliefs — and what the evidence says.

✗ False
"I should only press the call button in a real emergency."
✓ True
Your call button is for any time you need help — including before you get up. Pressing it early prevents emergencies from happening.
✗ False
"If I fall, I should get up quickly so no one sees."
✓ True
Getting up alone after a fall is when the most serious injuries happen. Stay still, call for help, and let staff assess you first.
✗ False
"I can get up alone if I am careful enough."
✓ True
Being careful is not enough when balance is affected by illness or medication. Research consistently shows that patients who feel confident in their own abilities are among the most likely to fall.
✗ False
"Setting a safety goal is just box-ticking."
✓ True
Research from Australian hospitals shows that patients who set personal goals are significantly less likely to fall. Choosing your own goal — rather than being given a rule — makes you far more likely to follow it.
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Screen 7 of 9Your Actions
Your Safety Habits
Tick each one as you commit to it
✓
Keep my call button within reach at all times
Especially before I sleep.
✓
Press my call button before I try to get up
Before I am in difficulty — not after.
✓
If I fall, I will stay still and call for help
Not try to get up alone.
✓
Always report a fall to my nurse
Even if I feel fine. Even a near-miss.
✓
Set one personal safety goal and tell my nurse
One specific habit I will commit to.
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Screen 8 of 9Quick Quiz
🧠
Quick Quiz
5 questions — tap the best answer
Question 1 of 5Score: 0
Module 8 of 8
Screen 9 of 9Complete
🏅
Module 8 Complete!

You have completed all 8 modules. You now have the knowledge and habits to stay as safe as possible during your hospital stay.

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Topics
0
Habits ticked
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Quiz score

This module supports your clinical care. Always speak with your nurse or doctor if you have concerns.

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