The outcome of a rapid training program on nurses' attitudes regarding the prevention of aggression in emergency departments: A multi-site evaluation

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Patient aggression is a common source of occupational violence in emergency departments. Staff attitudes regarding the causes for aggression influence the way they manage it. The Management of Clinical Aggression - Rapid Emergency Department Intervention is a 45 min educational program that aims to promote the use of de-escalation techniques and effective communication skills to prevent patient aggression. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the impact of the program on staff attitudes regarding the prevention and early management of patient aggression. DESIGN: A mixed methods approach was used including a pre-test post-test survey of training participants and individual interviews ..