Objective:

To analyze, through their knowledge and attitudes, the association of nurses' practices in the prevention of falls of hospitalized elderly.

Methodology:

A transversal and analytical study, performed with 76 nurses at six hospitals in Cuiabá state of Mato Grosso, Brasil. Data were collected through an interview with a validated questionnaire and analyzed using Pearson's chi-square (χ2) test with significance level of 5% and Poisson regression.

Results:

It was verified that 89.5% of the nurses had insufficient knowledge, 52.6% had a favorable attitude and 61.8% had preventive practices. There was an association between the preventive practices of falls performed by nurses and sufficient knowledge.

Conclusions:

Most nurses have insufficient knowledge about falls and their prevention, however their attitudes are favorable. Nurses with sufficient knowledge adopt more preventive measures than those with insufficient knowledge.

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