|
Abstract
|
INTRODUCTION: In Poland, the mode and site of patient treatment have changed little in the past 75 years, despite therapeutic advances worldwide. There is limited information regarding attitudes of nurses toward aggression in psychiatric settings in Poland, nor has there been an instrument in Polish to measure it.
AIM: To translate and validate the Attitudes Toward Aggression Scale (ATAS) for use in Poland, and to assess the attitudes of three groups of nursing personnel toward aggression.
METHOD: We surveyed 980 psychiatric and general nurses as well as nursing students. We translated the ATAS into Polish, and validated it using exploratory factor analysis.
RESULTS: The Polish version of the ATAS showed good psychometric properties. We found that Polish nurses perceived patient aggression extremely negatively.
DISCUSSION: Polish nurses perceive aggression as destructive, negative, and not to be tolerated, leading to use of restraints. Among the three groups, psychiatric nurses showed the most negative attitude toward aggression. Thus, education is needed for pre-service and in-service nurses alike to address this issue. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS TO EXISTING EVIDENCE: We now have a validated instrument to assess nurses' attitudes about aggression. We also know that Polish nurses have exceedingly negative attitudes toward aggression. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The Polish version of ATAS was found valid and reliable. Therefore, we can now measure the attitudes of Polish nurses towards aggression, which was not possible previously. The baseline data provide a starting point from which to determine effects of educational efforts. Word count: 191 words.
Language: en |