Citation

Murphy NA. J. Psychiatr. Ment. Health Nurs. 2004; 11(4): 407-413.

Affiliation

School of Nursing, Salford University, Eccles, Manchester M30 0NN, UK. n.a.murphy@salford.ac.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1365-2850.2004.00727.x

PMID

15255914

Abstract

Part of the community mental health nurse's (CMHN) role is the assessment of violence posed by clients. It explores factors such as the reduction of inpatient beds and the predictability of violent acts towards nursing staff. This study outlines how the risk of violence is assessed by generic CMHNs, by examining their awareness, understanding and perceptions of violence posed by their clients. The data were collected in one Trust, using questionnaire and focus groups. The findings emphasize the importance of historical evidence but also raise the issue of gut feelings of the nurse. They further identify that clinical judgement can be accurate in assessing for violence, and CMHNs relied upon experience and personal impressions of the presenting evidence, rather than through the use of a standardized instrument.

Language: en