The perception of aggression by nurses: psychometric scale testing and derivation of a short instrument

Educational programs and interventions for health care staff to prevent and manage aggressive behaviors in acute hospitals: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to determine the effect of educational programs that have been implemented in acute health care settings to manage or prevent aggressive behaviors toward staff perpetrated by patients, families, or visitors.

INTRODUCTION

Health care staff working within acute-level and tertiary-level hospitals are at high risk of exposure to aggressive behaviors by patients, their family, or visitors. Negative staff and organizational impacts reported in the literature include individual psychological or emotional distress and severe harm, increased absenteeism, high staff turnover, and awarded compensation. Reports of this kind of occupational violence are increasing globally; therefore, strategies to address prevention and management are needed to mitigate the risk of harm to staff and the wider hospital service. Various educational activities have been implemented to address the issue, but the overall effect of these is unclear.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

Experimental and quasi-experimental studies were considered for inclusion if they reported on an educational program or intervention for staff working within an acute hospital setting and aimed at managing or preventing occupational violence perpetrated by patients, family, or visitors. Reports of programs implemented to address occupational violence, whether verbal or physical, were included. Studies were excluded if they reported on upward violence or bullying, patients in psychiatric or dementia facilities, or pediatric patients, due to the specific care needs of these cohorts.

METHODS

The following databases were searched: PubMed (PubMed Central), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), Embase, ERIC (ProQuest), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Library), and Scopus. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses was searched for unpublished studies. To obtain a wider perspective of the issue, studies published in Chinese were also searched in WanFang Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chongqing VIP. A date filter of 2008-2023 was applied in a deliberate effort to expand from previous work. No language filters were applied. The review was conducted in accordance with JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness, and reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

The search process retrieved 4681 citations. A total of 32 studies representing 3246 health staff were included in the review. The studies were either before-and-after or pre-test/post-test study designs. Methodological quality of studies varied, with the main issues being absence of CIs within statistical analysis, limited detail on participant selection or attrition/non-response, and underreporting of confounding factors. Educational programs varied in content and duration. Content delivery across the studies also varied, with several didactic, role-play, debriefing, group work, and simulation exercises reported. While studies reported some improvement in self-reported confidence levels, results were mixed for other outcomes. Determining overall effect of included studies was challenging due to heterogeneity within and across studies with regard to intervention types, populations, measurement tools, and outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

This review is unable to determine which workplace educational programs had an effect on staff outcomes or on the number of occupational violence incidents. In the future, educators and researchers could use the findings of this review to guide the design of educational programs and employ measures that are comparable to their settings.

REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42020190538.

SUPPLEMENTAL DIGITAL CONTENT

A Chinese-language version of the abstract of this review is available [ http://links.lww.com/SRX/A33 ].

Nurses’, patients’, and informal caregivers’ attitudes toward aggression in psychiatric hospitals: A comparative survey study

Attitudes toward aggression is a controversial phenomenon in psychiatry. This study examined and compared attitudes toward patient aggression in psychiatric hospitals from the perspectives of nurses, patients and informal caregivers and identified factors associated to these attitudes. A total of 2,424 participants completed a self-reported instrument regarding attitudes toward aggression (12-items Perception of Aggression Scale; POAS-S). We analysed data from nurses (n = 782), patients (n = 886), and informal caregivers (n = 765). Pearson’s r correlations were used to examine associations between variables. Differences between group scores were analysed using ANOVA/MANOVA with post-hoc Sheffe tests. Multivariate logistic regression models and logistic regression analysis were used to examine the effects of respondents’ characteristics on their attitudes toward aggression. Nurses had significantly more negative and less tolerant perceptions toward aggression (mean [SD] 47.1 [7.5], p<0.001) than the patients (mean [SD] 44.4 [8.2]) and the informal caregivers (mean [SD] 45.0 [6.9), according to the POAS-S total scores. The same trend was found with the dysfunction and function sub-scores (mean [SD] 25.3 [4.1] and 15.0 [3.6], respectively); the differences between the groups were statistically significant (p <0.001) when nurses’ scores were compared to those of both the patients (mean [SD] 23.7 [5.3] and 14.0 [4.1], respectively) and the informal caregivers (mean [SD] 24.4 [4.2] and 13.9 [3.5], respectively). The study offers new understanding of aggressive behavior in different treatment settings where attitudes toward patient behavior raises ethical and practical dilemmas. These results indicate a need for more targeted on-the-job training for nursing staff, aggression management rehabilitation programs for patients, and peer-support programs for informal caregivers focused on patient aggression.

Reliability and validity of the Korean 12-item Perception of Aggression Scale

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: The importance of and interest in nurses' attitudes towards and subjective experience with workplace violence in clinical settings is increasing. The prevalence of patient-perpetrated violence against Korean nurses in hospital settings is highly prevalent. Only few instruments are available to measure the nurses' perception of patient aggression in Korea. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This is the first study to assess the linguistic and psychometric reliability and validity of an instrument that evaluates the attitude of Korean nursing staff towards patient-perpetrated workplace violence. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This valid and reliable instrument could be used to assess and monitor the nurses' attitudes towards aggressive tendencies in the workplace. The results could contribute to the development of relevant interventions for coping with violence by patients towards nursing staff and the implementation of practical training to cultivate healthy perceptions towards patients to foster therapeutic nurse-patient relationships. ABSTRACT: Introduction Despite the high prevalence of patient-perpetrated violence against Korean nurses globally, reliable and valid measures of patient aggression are lacking in Korean. Aim We translated the 12-item Perception of Aggression Scale (POAS) into Korean and psychometrically assessed its utility in measuring nurses' attitudes towards aggression. Methods The 12-item Korean POAS was obtained through forward-backward translation and cognitive debriefing. It was administered online to 319 nurses (mean age = 32.64 years; females = 96.2%), of which 206 completed it again after two weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis validated the 3-factor structure as hypothesized in the original version. The intra-class correlation coefficient was used to assess the test-retest reliability. Results The originally hypothesized 3-factor structure showed a good fit. The 3 dimensions: aggression as a dysfunctional or undesirable phenomenon, aggression as a functional or comprehensible phenomenon, and aggression as a protective measure had internal consistencies of 0.74, 0.86 and 0.90 and corresponding ICCs of 0.70, 0.86 and 0.90, respectively. Discussion The 12-item Korean POAS is a valid and reliable scale that might aid investigating nurses' attitudes towards patient aggression. Implications for practice The 12-item Korean POAS can help Korean nurses adopt protective behaviours and develop interventions to cope with aggression.

Education and training for preventing and minimizing workplace aggression directed toward healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

Workplace aggression constitutes a serious issue for healthcare workers and organizations. Aggression is tied to physical and mental health issues at an individual level, as well as to absenteeism, decreased productivity or quality of work, and high employee turnover rates at an organizational level. To counteract these negative impacts, organizations have used a variety of interventions, including education and training, to provide workers with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent aggression.  OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness of education and training interventions that aim to prevent and minimize workplace aggression directed toward healthcare workers by patients and patient advocates.

SEARCH METHODS

CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, six other databases and five trial registers were searched from their inception to June 2020 together with reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), cluster-randomized controlled trials (CRCTs), and controlled before and after studies (CBAs) that investigated the effectiveness of education and training interventions targeting aggression prevention for healthcare workers.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Four review authors evaluated and selected the studies resulting from the search. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS

We included nine studies-four CRCTs, three RCTs, and two CBAs-with a total of 1688 participants. Five studies reported episodes of aggression, and six studies reported secondary outcomes. Seven studies were conducted among nurses or nurse aides, and two studies among healthcare workers in general. Three studies took place in long-term care, two in the psychiatric ward, and four in hospitals or health centers. Studies were reported from the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Taiwan, and Sweden. All included studies reported on education combined with training interventions. Four studies evaluated online programs, and five evaluated face-to-face programs. Five studies were of long duration (up to 52 weeks), and four studies were of short duration. Eight studies had short-term follow-up (< 3 months), and one study long-term follow-up (> 1 year). Seven studies were rated as being at "high" risk of bias in multiple domains, and all had "unclear" risk of bias in a single domain or in multiple domains. Effects on aggression Short-term follow-up The evidence is very uncertain about effects of education and training on aggression at short-term follow-up compared to no intervention (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.27 to 0.61, 2 CRCTs; risk ratio [RR] 2.30, 95% CI 0.97 to 5.42, 1 CBA; SMD -1.24, 95% CI -2.16 to -0.33, 1 CBA; very low-certainty evidence). Long-term follow-up Education may not reduce aggression compared to no intervention in the long term (RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.37, 1 CRCT; low-certainty evidence). Effects on knowledge, attitudes, skills, and adverse outcomes Education may increase personal knowledge about workplace aggression at short-term follow-up (SMD 0.86, 95% CI 0.34 to 1.38, 1 RCT; low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about effects of education on personal knowledge in the long term (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.75, 1 RCT; very low-certainty evidence). Education may improve attitudes among healthcare workers at short-term follow-up, but the evidence is very uncertain (SMD 0.59, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.94, 2 CRCTs and 3 RCTs; very low-certainty evidence). The type and duration of interventions resulted in different sizes of effects. Education may not have an effect on skills related to workplace aggression (SMD 0.21, 95% CI -0.07 to 0.49, 1 RCT and 1 CRCT; very low-certainty evidence) nor on adverse personal outcomes, but the evidence is very uncertain (SMD -0.31, 95% CI -1.02 to 0.40, 1 RCT; very low-certainty evidence). Measurements of these concepts showed high heterogeneity.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Education combined with training may not have an effect on workplace aggression directed toward healthcare workers, even though education and training may increase personal knowledge and positive attitudes. Better quality studies that focus on specific settings of healthcare work where exposure to patient aggression is high are needed. Moreover, as most studies have assessed episodes of aggression toward nurses, future studies should include other types of healthcare workers who are also victims of aggression in the same settings, such as orderlies (healthcare assistants). Studies should especially use reports of aggression at an institutional level and should rely on multi-source data while relying on validated measures. Studies should also include days lost to sick leave and employee turnover and should measure outcomes at one-year follow-up. Studies should specify the duration and type of delivery of education and should use an active comparison to prevent raising awareness and reporting in the intervention group only.

Using Simulation Training to Promote Nurses' Effective Handling of Workplace Violence: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Background: Workplace violence in the health care sector has become a growing global problem. Research has shown that although caregivers comprise a high-risk group exposed to workplace violence, most of them lacked the skills and countermeasures against workplace violence. Therefore, through a quasi-experimental design, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of situational simulation training on the nursing staffs’ concept and self-confidence in coping with workplace violence. Methods: Workplace violence simulation trainings were applied based on the systematic literature review and the conclusions from focus group interviews with nursing staff. Data were obtained from structured questionnaires including: (1) baseline characteristics; (2) perception of aggression scale (POAS); and (3) confidence in coping with patient aggression. Results: The results revealed that training course intervention significantly improved the nursing staffs’ self-perception and confidence against workplace violence (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The “simulation education on workplace violence training” as the intervention significantly improved the workplace violence perception and confidence among nursing staffs in coping with aggression events.

Patient and visitor aggression in healthcare: A survey exploring organisational safety culture and team efficacy

AIMS

This study investigates nurse managers' perception of organisational safety culture and team efficacy in managing patient and visitor aggression , and determines the predictors of team efficacy.

BACKGROUND

Patient and visitor aggression is a serious hazard in healthcare. A positive organisational safety culture regarding patient and visitor aggression enhances the safety and staff efficacy in managing patient and visitor aggression.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey including nurse managers in psychiatric and general hospitals (n = 446) was conducted in Switzerland, Austria and Germany (November 2016-February 2017). Data were analysed descriptively and through binary logistic regression.

RESULTS

The key results are as follows: "Working in a mental health setting" was 3.5 times more likely, "consideration of the physical environment" was four times more likely and a "shared organisational attitude" was twice as likely to predict high team efficacy. In comparison to psychiatric hospitals, general hospital managers perceived organisational safety cultures to be less positive.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive organisational safety culture leads to the perception that teams are more effective at managing patient and visitor aggression.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Consideration of the physical environment and a positive shared organisational attitude regarding patient and visitor aggression are crucial for high team efficacy. General hospitals could benefit from approaches utilized in psychiatry to enhance staff efficacy in managing patient and visitor aggression.

Testing psychometric properties of a Chinese version of perception of aggression scale

AIM

This study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the 12-item Perception of Aggression Scale (POAS).

METHOD

It consists of three phases of testing, including (1) translation and back-translation and content validity; (2) semantic equivalence between translated Chinese and original English version; and (3) construct validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

RESULTS

The translated Chinese and back-translated English version showed excellent similarities and agreements between two independent translators. The Chinese version indicated high item- and scale-level content validity indexes (0.86-1.00) and satisfactory semantic equivalence with the original English language version (weighted kappa=0.48-0.90; intraclass correlation coefficient=0.91). Exploratory factor analysis in 249 nursing students resulted in three components (dysfunctional, functional and protective dimensions), explaining 64% of the total variance, with satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.76-0.83) and good 2-week test-retest reliability (Pearson's r=0.87). The Chinese version of POAS was found to be a valid and reliable tool to examine nurses' attitudes towards patient aggression.

DISCUSSION

Chinese nurses in this study viewed patient aggression to be an undesirable negative behaviour suggestive of uncontrollability behaviour presented by the patient under their care.

Healthcare Managers' Perceptions of Patient Perpetrated Aggression and Prevention Strategies: A Cross Sectional Survey

Patient or client aggression towards staff is a risk in healthcare. Healthcare takes place in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community, and Aged Care facilities. A minimal amount is known regarding the existence of safety and training measures available throughout the broad range of hospital and community healthcare services. A web-based survey of the type and frequency of violence experienced by healthcare staff was sent to unit managers working in mental health and older peoples' services of District Health Boards, Non-Governmental Organisations, and Aged Care facilities across New Zealand. One hundred and forty-one managers responded to the survey with a response rate of 79.21%. Managers reported high rates of verbal aggression and assaults against staff within their services. A total of 60% of respondents stated that an increase in assaults against staff was due to an increase in violent events and 43.1% related this to increased staff awareness and reporting of violent events to management. Communication skills and de-escalation training were provided across approximately 95% of organisations. The availability of safety measures including panic buttons, personal alarms, use of security personnel, and police assistance were more widely available and accessible within hospital settings and the community sector was found to mostly rely on police for assistance when violence occurs. The perception of violence is high in healthcare. Prevention and management training is provided in public hospital and aged care setting but not so much in NGOs. All areas of healthcare provision could benefit from increased evidence based aggression prevention programmes.

Nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods used in psychiatric wards and perceptions of aggression in Turkey

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods and to explore the relationship between those attitudes and nurses' perception of aggression.

BACKGROUND

Different containment methods are used in psychiatric wards when patients behave aggressively towards others or exhibit self-harm. It is known that in addition to patient-specific and environmental influences, many factors related to the staff influence the choice of containment method. One of these factors is the perception of aggression.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional descriptive design was used and the sample consisted of 144 nurses who are employed in a psychiatric hospital in Istanbul and who volunteered to participate in the study.

METHOD

Data were collected using a questionnaire addressing the socio-demographic and professional features of nurses and using the attitudes to professional containment methods and Perception of Aggression Scale.

RESULTS

While pro re nata medication was used commonly, time-out was infrequently used in the wards. Intermittent observation, pro re nata medication and containment in the psychiatric intensive care unit were the most approved methods. The use of net beds was the least approved method. Nurses who perceive aggression as dysfunctional/undesirable are more likely to approve compulsory intramuscular medication and mechanical restraint.

CONCLUSION

These results showed that nurses' perception of aggression is an important factor influencing the choice of a professional containment method.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study might lead to closer critiquing of psychiatric ward nurses' attitudes towards professional containment methods, leading to a decrease in the usage of these methods.

Factors affecting assessment of severity of aggressive incidents: using the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised (SOAS-R) in Japan

The aim of this study is to investigate factors associated with overall judgements of aggression severity as provided by ward nurses, using the Japanese-language version of the Staff Observation Aggression Scale - Revised (SOAS-R). Nurses who observed 326 aggressive incidents involving psychiatric inpatients at five mental health facilities in Japan provided their assessments of the incident severity both on the established rating scale, the SOAS-R, and on a visual analogue scale (VAS), a one-item scale to indicate overall aggression severity. To evaluate the factors influencing the VAS severity scores, a multiple regression analysis was performed, in which consumer, nurse and ward characteristics were added consecutively, along with SOAS-R severity scores as independent variables. SOAS-R scores explained 17.6% of the VAS severity scores. Independently from the SOAS-R scores, the gender and age of the aggressive consumers (adjusted R(2) = 10.0%), as well as the gender of the nurses who reported the aggression (adjusted R(2) = 4.1%), each explained VAS severity score to a significant degree. Apart from the SOAS-R scores, consumer and nurse characteristics appeared to influence the overall judgements of severity of aggressive incidents, which may be connected to decisions about the use of coercive measures, such as seclusion/restraint or forced medication.

Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the perception of aggression scale

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Perception of Aggression Scale. Cross-sectional data were collected by the completion of questionnaires by 350 nursing students from two nursing schools in Istanbul, Turkey. The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the scale were analysed by using factor analysis (principal component analysis), assessment of internal consistency and reliability, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients. The two-factor structure was confirmed by principal component analysis: the first factor treated aggression as functional and the second as dysfunctional. The correlation between the means of the items and dimensions was moderate (r for factor 1: 0.47-0.73; r for factor 2: 0.29-0.70). The coefficient of internal consistency of the scale was 0.85 for factor 1 and 0.81 for factor 2. Thus, Turkish version of Perception of Aggression Scale is a valid and reliable tool. It is essential to understand perceptions of aggressive behaviour in order to establish effective management strategies to tackle untoward events in clinical settings.

Ward safety perceived by ward managers in Britain, Germany and Switzerland: identifying factors that improve ability to deal with violence

Little is known about how safe nurses feel on psychiatric wards across different European countries. This paper is aim to evaluate how ward safety is perceived by ward managers in Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland. We replicated a Swiss questionnaire study in Germany and Britain, which asked ward managers on adult psychiatric wards to give details about their ward including data on the management of aggression, staffing levels, staff training, standards and type of restraint used, alarm devices, treatment and management of aggression and the existence and perceived efficacy of standards (protocols, guidelines). The British sample had by far the highest staffing levels per psychiatric bed, followed by Switzerland and Germany. The British ward managers by far perceived violence and aggression least as a problem on their wards, followed by Germany and then Switzerland. British ward managers are most satisfied with risk management and current practice dealing with violence. German managers were most likely to use fixation and most likely to have specific documentation for coercive measures. Swiss wards were most likely to use non-specific bedrooms for seclusion and carry alarm devices. British wards were far more likely to have protocols and training for the treatment and management of violence, followed by Switzerland and Germany. British ward managers by far perceived violence and aggression to be a small problem on their wards compared with Swiss and German ward managers. This was associated with the availability of control and restraint teams, regular training, clear protocols and a lesser degree risk assessments, but not staffing levels.

Nursing students' experiences in managing patient aggression

BACKGROUND

Nursing students are at high risk to become a victim of patient aggression. There is little evidence that training programmes developed for post-registered nurses or nurses in psychiatric or forensic settings can meet the needs of nursing students. To gain more insight into student nurses' educational outcomes in Germany the view of the target group was explored.

METHODS

Twelve nursing students participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were evaluated by qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

Managing patient aggression is a general challenge for nursing students and is not confined to psychiatric settings. Specific problems of beginners became evident. Additionally, general issues were addressed on control of causes of aggression, interpretation aggressive situations, dealing with the aggressive patient, coping with stress, and organizational issues.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students need preparation and training in handling patient aggression. They should acquire knowledge about aggression, awareness of contributing problems, self-confidence in dealing with aggressive patients, assertiveness and empathy in communication and the ability to cope in an appropriate manner. In addition the safety policy of hospital placements should be examined for appropriateness to support nursing students.

The nurse's role in the management of aggression

Although research into the phenomenon of aggression within psychiatric inpatient settings has established a strong casual link with mental illness, there is widespread agreement that diagnostic or demographic characteristics cannot accurately predict such behaviours. In addition, studies have consistently failed to establish how nursing management responses influence the course of aggression within these environments. Therefore, an assumption can be made that specific contextual factors are significant, and that management responses have an effect on outcomes. This review examines the nurses' impact on inpatient aggression and how management strategies affect the therapeutic value of intervention.

The Effect of a Training Course on Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward, Perceptions of, and Confidence in Managing Patient Aggression

Patient aggression is a problem in many health care settings, and nursing students are among the most vulnerable to experiencing such aggression. Training courses have been suggested to help nurses better manage patient aggression. Such courses can lead to changes in attitudes toward and perceptions of, as well as greater confidence in managing, aggression. In this quasi-experimental study, we investigated the effect of a training course on nursing students' attitudes toward, perceptions of, and confidence in managing patient aggression. Students in the intervention group demonstrated enhanced confidence but no change in attitude after the training course, while students in the control group remained stable on all measures. The short time frame of the study, the training course itself, and the instruments used for monitoring attitudes toward aggression are possible reasons for these results. We tentatively conclude that it is possible to enhance nursing students' perceived confidence in managing patient aggression without changing their fundamental views of it.

An international comparative study on the reliability and validity of the attitudes towards aggression scale

One of the factors known to be associated with the management of patient aggression is the attitude of staff members towards the aggressive behaviour of patients. The construct validity of an instrument measuring the attitudes of staff towards inpatient aggression in psychiatry was evaluated in this international multi-centre study. Factor analysis and simultaneous component analysis were performed with data from a convenience sample of 1769 psychiatric nurses working in psychiatric hospitals and student nurses from nursing schools. The samples were recruited by fellow researchers in their home country. The original 32-item version (POAS) was reduced to 18 items comprising five attitude scales with solid psychometric properties. The types of attitudes were labelled offensive, communicative, destructive, protective and intrusive. The format of the correlations between the types of attitudes suggested the existence of two basic underlying divergent domains in the scale. The 'communication' and 'protection' scale components on the one hand, and the 'offence', 'destruction' and 'intrusion' components on the other. The five types of attitude proved to be invariant across samples from five European countries. The Aggression Scale (ATAS) is a reliable and valid measure that will enable researchers to perform international comparative research on attitudes and aggression.

Student psychiatric nurses' approval of containment measures: relationship to perception of aggression and attitudes to personality disorder

Difficult and challenging behaviour by inpatients is a feature of acute psychiatric ward life. Different methods are used to contain these behaviours, and there is international variation in which are approved of or used. Previous research suggests that staff attitudes to patients may affect their willingness to use, or choice of, method. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between approval of containment measures, perception of aggression and attitude to personality disorder. A survey of student psychiatric nurses was conducted, and using three attitudinal questionnaires related to aggression and containment. An association was found between positive attitude to patients and the approval of containment methods that involved nurses being in personal contact with patients. There was evidence that students' attitudes to patients deteriorated over time. The results highlighted the importance of (and linkage between) staffs' feelings of anger and fear towards patients, and their preparedness to use containment measures.

The effect of a training course in aggression management on mental health nurses' perceptions of aggression: a cluster randomised controlled trial

Nurses' attitudes towards patient aggression may influence their behaviour towards patients. Thus, their enhanced capacity to cope with aggressive patients may nurture more positive attitudes and alleviate adverse feelings emanating from patient aggression. This cluster randomised controlled trial conducted on six psychiatric wards tested the hypotheses that a 5 day training course in aggression management would positively influence the following outcome measures: Nurses' perception and tolerance towards patient aggression and resultant adverse feelings. A repeated measures design was employed to monitor change. No effect was found. The short time frame between the training course and the follow up measurement or non-responsiveness of the measurement instruments may explain this finding.