The Morse Fall Scale is used to assess fall risk in:

• A. Outpatients
• B. Neonates
• C. Hospitalized patients
• D. Pediatric patients

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that this tool is built for inpatients to quickly identify who is at risk for falls during a hospital stay. It evaluates six factors commonly seen in the hospital setting—history of a prior fall, presence of a secondary diagnosis, use of an ambulatory aid, IV therapy or restricted activity, gait or transferring ability, and mental status. Each factor contributes to a total score that helps categorize a patient’s fall risk and prompts specific safety actions, like extra supervision, keeping the bed alarms on, wearing non-slip footwear, and ensuring the call light is within reach. Because these factors are typical of adults in acute care, the Morse Fall Scale is used with hospitalized patients rather than outpatients, neonates, or pediatric populations, which require different assessment approaches.